Entry 001

My name is Frank, and I've been driving buses for over 40 years. I've seen it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've met all kinds of people, from celebrities to criminals, from tourists to locals, from young to old. I've driven through rain and snow, through traffic and accidents, through day and night. I've loved my job, even though it was sometimes stressful, tiring, and thankless. But today is different. Today is my last day.

I woke up early, as usual, and got ready for work. I put on my uniform, grabbed my lunch bag, and kissed my wife goodbye. She smiled and wished me a good day. She's been my rock, my support, my everything. We've been married for 38 years, and we have two kids and four grandkids. They're all coming over for dinner tonight, to celebrate my retirement. I can't wait to see them.

I drove to the bus depot, where I met my boss and my colleagues. They congratulated me and gave me a card and a cake. They said they would miss me, and I said I would miss them too. They're like family to me, we've been through so much together. We laughed and joked, and then I got on my bus. It was the same one I've been driving for the last 10 years, number 57. It was old and worn, but reliable and comfortable. It felt like home.

I started my route, which was the same one I've been doing for the last 20 years. It was a long one, covering the whole city, from downtown to the suburbs, from the airport to the mall, from the park to the museum. It took about four hours to complete, and I did it twice a day, with a break in between. I knew every street, every stop, every landmark, every shortcut. I also knew most of the passengers, who were regulars on my bus. They greeted me and chatted with me, and I greeted them and chatted with them. They were like friends to me, we've shared so many stories and experiences.

The first half of the day went smoothly, as usual. I picked up and dropped off people, I collected fares and gave change, I announced stops and directions, I followed the schedule and the rules. I enjoyed the scenery and the music, I watched the people and the cars, I listened to the news and the weather. I felt happy and calm, knowing that this was my last day.

But then, something happened. Something that I never expected, something that I never prepared for, something that I never wanted. My bus broke down.

It was around 2 p.m., and I was halfway through my second route. I was on the highway, heading towards the airport, when I heard a loud bang and saw a cloud of smoke. I looked at the dashboard, and saw that the engine had overheated and the oil pressure had dropped. I knew I had to pull over, and fast. I turned on the hazard lights and the horn, and moved to the right lane. I managed to get to the shoulder, and stopped the bus. I turned off the ignition, and got out of the seat.

I grabbed the fire extinguisher and the first aid kit, and opened the door. I told the passengers to stay calm and remain seated, and that I would check the situation and call for help. There were about 20 people on the bus, some of them were scared, some of them were angry, some of them were confused. I tried to reassure them and apologize to them, and then I went to the back of the bus.

I opened the hood, and saw that the engine was on fire. I sprayed the fire extinguisher, and tried to put out the flames. I also checked the tires, the brakes, the wires, and the pipes, and saw that they were all damaged. I realized that the bus was beyond repair, and that we were stuck.

I took out my phone, and called the bus depot. I explained the situation, and asked for assistance. They said they would send another bus and a tow truck, but that it would take at least an hour. They also said they would contact the police and the ambulance, just in case. They apologized and wished me luck. I thanked them and hung up.

I went back to the front of the bus, and told the passengers the news. They were not happy, and neither was I. We were stranded on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, with no shelter, no water, no food, no toilet, no air conditioning, no entertainment, no nothing. We were also exposed to the sun, the wind, the noise, the pollution, the danger. We were also late, very late, for our destinations, our appointments, our flights, our lives. We were also bored, very bored, with nothing to do, nothing to say, nothing to think. We were also frustrated, very frustrated, with the situation, the bus, the company, the driver, ourselves. We were also angry, very angry, with the world, the fate, the luck, the God, the everything.

But then, something else happened. Something that I never expected, something that I never prepared for, something that I never wanted. But something that I needed, something that we all needed. Something that changed everything.

We started to talk. We started to talk to each other, to share our stories, our feelings, our thoughts, our dreams. We started to listen to each other, to understand our perspectives, our backgrounds, our cultures, our values. We started to laugh with each other, to joke about our troubles, our mistakes, our quirks, our flaws. We started to cry with each other, to empathize with our pains, our losses, our fears, our regrets. We started to bond with each other, to appreciate our differences, our similarities, our diversity, our humanity.

We started to talk to me, to ask me about my life, my career, my family, my retirement. We started to listen to me, to respect my experience, my wisdom, my advice, my legacy. We started to laugh with me, to compliment my humor, my skill, my service, my kindness. We started to cry with me, to thank me for my dedication, my patience, my generosity, my friendship. We started to bond with me, to honor my work, my passion, my contribution, my impact.

We started to talk, and we didn't stop. We talked for an hour, and then another, and then another. We talked until the sun set, and the stars came out, and the moon rose. We talked until the other bus arrived, and the tow truck arrived, and the police arrived, and the ambulance arrived. We talked until we had to leave, and say goodbye, and wish each other well. We talked until we realized that we were not strangers anymore, but friends. We talked until we realized that this was not the worst day of our lives, but the best.

We talked, and we learned. We learned that we were not alone, but together. We learned that we were not helpless, but powerful. We learned that we were not hopeless, but hopeful. We learned that we were not victims, but survivors. We learned that we were not ordinary, but extraordinary.

We talked, and we grew. We grew as people, as individuals, as humans. We grew as a group, as a community, as a family. We grew as a bus, as a team, as a legend.

We talked, and we lived. We lived in the moment, in the present, in the now. We lived in the past, in the memories, in the history. We lived in the future, in the possibilities, in the dreams. We lived in the story, in the adventure, in the miracle.

We talked, and we loved. We loved ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, our potentials. We loved each other, our faces, our voices, our souls. We loved the bus, our home, our vehicle, our symbol. We loved the ride, our journey, our challenge, our reward.

We talked, and we were happy. We were happy because we talked.

Frank Miller, retired bus driver