Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Do have a simply marvelous day!

When I go to school and work I park at the commuter lot at UF then take the bus to where I need to go. (For our nonFlorida friends...UF's campus is quite large.) I frequently have the same bus driver and every time someone requests a stop she says, "Please gather all your belongings and exit through the rear door and do have a simply marvelous day. And all that good stuff" Without fail, every day, every stop she says this and in such a chipper voice! However, I ride the bus enough to know her dark side. There are three things that quickly change her friendly mood: 1) eating on the bus, 2) putting your feet on the seats, and 3) trying to exit through the front door. These things make her very angry and she will call you out over the microphone. If you try to exit through the front door (even if no one is getting on the bus and you are sitting right beside it) she will yell at you, hold out her arms to block you, and refuse to open the door. I don't like to get in trouble so I always follow her rules. I even sit in the back of the bus so I don't forget to use the rear exit.
Tonight I was getting off the bus and she yells, "Miss, Miss! Please come to the front of the bus." I was sooo scared! As I slowly walked to the front I kept wondering what I could have done wrong and I couldn't think of anything. Everyone else was off the bus by this point. Our conversation went like this:
Me: Yes mam?
Bus Driver Lady: I don't mean to be nosy, but I noticed you rubbing your belly. Does it itch?
Me: Yes, a little. (My belly didn't itch, I think I was just rubbing it- he probably kicked or something, but I was scared so I went along with her)
Bus Driver Lady: Do you put lotion on?
Me: Yes, I've just been at school all day and haven't since I've been here.
Bus Driver Lady: Crisco. Put crisco on your belly.
Me: Oh! Well, I have this belly butter that basically is the same consistency.
Bus Driver Lady: Yep, use that and you won't have no stretch marks. I don't have a one. Is this your first?
Me: Yes.
Bus Driver Lady: Well, have a good night.
Me: Thanks, keep the tips coming! (sucking up)
I then turn to go to the rear exit as I am well trained.
Bus Driver Lady: Go ahead and get off right here.
Now this may not sound like a big deal, but I see this lady fight with kids every day sending them to the rear exit and she told me to use the front exit!! There was no greater privilege she could give me.
I can think of a lot of things to complain about right now and I'll never put Crisco on my belly, but you know what? At the end of the day I got to exit from the front of the bus. And it was a simply marvelous day.

5 comments:

Laura Copeland said...

This seriously is the sweetest story! I think we should send it to Readers' Digest. It would be a winner for sure!

Ang said...

I'm with Laura on that! Very well written post. Is it bad of me that I have a mental image of what this lady probably looks like? We lived in the midwest for a while and I known these kind of ladies - they are my favorite people because they're so real. Nothing to hide.

Jeff and Amy Barlow said...

I love you.

And I'm so glad that we picked you to be Craig's wife. :)

Can't wait to see that "little" one of yours.

Come visit soon. I'm in need of a good laugh.

Alison Wilde said...

Loved this story! I can totally see the whole thing playing out, and I too can see the picture of the bus driver in my mind. The next time I'm in G'ville I'm going to find her, take a ride on her bus, strike up a conversation with her, and hopefully I too get to exit out of the front of the bus! It's the small things in life.....way to catch the small things Cassie!

Bree said...

Oh Cassie I sure love you... I really wish we would hang out before our time here comes to an end... who knows if we will ever end up in the same ward ever again!