The Bus People

Today I did something I'm pretty sure I've never done before and one thing I'm absolutely certain I've never done before. If I've ever taken a trip on a charter bus before, I have completely no recollection of doing so. And though my memory may not be as good as it used to be, a trip on a charter bus is one of those gigantic life events I think I would remember. And why did I take a trip on a charter bus today, you ask? Because the company I work for chartered to buses to bring our Wichita and Kansas City offices together at a midway point for a joint meeting. I must say that it was impressive to see all of our employees under one roof ... it's one thing to see all the names on a phone list, but it's another thing altogether to see everyone in person. The meeting was great, and in case I haven't said it before, I'm so thankful to work for such a wonderful company filled with so many awesomely gifted and talented individuals. But even more, I'm beyond grateful to work with people who care so deeply about one another on a personal level ... people who care enough to invest in one another's lives and who aren't afraid to demonstrate that care on a daily basis.

Now back to the bus ride ... I was among the last to board the bus which meant that all the seats were taken except for the ones near the back. I've always had an issue with motion sickness and have always gotten queasy when I have to sit in the back seat of a car, so I was more than a little apprehensive about a two-hour ride at the rear of the bus. I quickly discovered, however, that as long as I stared out the window, my stomach stayed calm ... it was only when I decided to check my email on my phone that I got queasy. So ... that's what I did both on the ride to the meeting and on the ride back to the office ... I stared out the window at the prairie that rolled gently along as the bus made its way down the highway. Though I engaged in very little conversation while riding on the bus, I could hear my co-workers chatting and laughing about first one thing and then another ... hair color and hair cuts, sporting events and shopping excursions, plans for the holidays and purchases that needed to be made. Many things struck me as I listened to the chattering of my friends around me, not the least of which was that I was listening in on rather than entering into the conversations ... I'll let you think about the significance of that observation on your own.

I've mentioned on occasion that when Ollie and I walk after dark, our path often takes us through the parking lots of both the junior and senior high schools that are near my house. And each time we walk through the parking lot and around to the front of the junior high, I always notice the instructions for the bus drivers that are stenciled onto the pavement so that they know which direction to go in and which areas are designated for loading or unloading the students. I always notice each of the markings for the bus drivers, but there's one statement in particular that has been gnawing at me ever since the first time I saw it. And today as I rode on the charter bus, I suddenly realized why that phrase has been stuck in my mind ... it's been stuck there until I could understand the lesson contained within it, the lesson that became crystal clear to me today as I rode for the first time on a charter bus. 

"No unloading past this point."

As the miles clipped by today, the phrase that is painted on the asphalt at the school pounded in my brain ... "No unloading past this point ... no unloading past this point ... no unloading past this point." And the more the statement pounded in my brain, the more I thought about how much those words should be burned into the minds and seared into the souls of every single one of us. There should be a point when we stop unloading judgment and hate ... a point when we realize that unloading those emotions onto other people is dangerous and can cause significant harm and injury ... a point when we come to understand that it's time to love and accept rather than wound and destroy. "No unloading past this point." Go ahead and ponder that for a while ... ponder it for a good long while indeed.

Oh, and the thing I'm absolutely certain I've never done before today ... on the ride back to the office, I was forced to pee in the bus bathroom (and I use that term more than quite loosely) lest my kidneys would burst. Yep, yep, yep ... today, I peed on a moving bus, and it was quite the adventure to say the least. Sleep well tonight, friends ... and when you wake tomorrow, may you find the phrase "No unloading past this point" has been tattooed upon your hearts. "No unloading past this point."