Honor Roll Bus Stop

Occasionally, as I drive back and forth from Kittanning, I get behind a school bus.  You know where I'm headed, right?  It's remarkable to me that every kid now gets picked up at his/her door!  The bus stops at every driveway - even if they're just fifty feet apart!

Some of you may want to tune out now because these are going to be the ramblings of a sixty-five year old man!

When I was a kid, we occasionally had an older person talk about walking six miles to school;  up hill both ways!  They talked about plowing through snow storms and thunderstorms to get to or from school!  We all knew they were exaggerating, but it was considered polite to let them reminisce evangelistically!

They helped me to realize that I had it made.  I only had to walk about two-tenths of a mile to my bus-stop. I lived on Brighton Heights.  It was divided from Crescent Heights by Mercer Road (which I, of course, had to cross).  All the kids from both areas caught the bus at the 'Honor Roll Bus Stop'.  It was a small, grassy area with a World War II Memorial in the center.

I loved this arrangement!  We could play games, have snowball battles, and find other types of mischief while we waited with about forty other kids for our buses to arrive.  No parents!

I know!  I know!  It was a safer day!  Parents could let their kids walk to and from the bus-stop without any real concerns.

Notice!  If it was raining or snowing, then I walked home in the rain or snow. Nobody picked me up! Now, I see parents who drive down the lane to wait for their kids to get off the bus every day!  No walking home in the elements.

Occasionally (not very often), I missed my bus!  No sense going home, I knew what my Mom would say.  I simply headed out walking to school.  If I was late (which, of course I was) then that would mean being kept after school as punishment.  Which, of course, meant that I also had to walk home from school!  I lived about two miles from the school!

Ah, but the best time of the day came when we got off the bus at the Honor Roll!  I would take off running for home, hollering over my shoulder to my best friend, Bob:  "I'll meet you at the Honor Roll in ten minutes!" Then, we would walk out Mercer Road a half-mile to meet two more friends, John and Larry.  We'd play football until one of us had to go home for supper!  I didn't realize at the time how good I had it!