rocking the bus

For some odd reason while driving into work today (having work today is another issue I won’t explore), I began thinking of riding the bus when I was a kid. The radio was on, playing “Jack and Diane” – I had to smile. It took me back to the first year I rode the bus. I was bussing to kindergarten – I remember it being a long ride and the other kids being pretty rowdy, especially the ones that got dropped off last. I was one of those kids that got dropped off last, so I had to sit through all the older kids antics – but at kindergarten age, I was pretty much a rock on the seat. The older kids pretty much left me alone, so it wasn’t a traumatic experience.

One really memorable time happened when I was sitting in the near back (it was one of those long buses). Two of the older kids were sitting in the back seats (one per seat), being casual, when suddenly “We Will Rock You” came on the radio. The two of them just stopped what they were doing, stood up, and started singing along with Queen. As the song progressed, they got more into it and began hitting, I mean whaling on the back seats with each drum beat. It was pretty hilarious to watch as they shouted along with the song. A bunch of us watching them began singing (except me, because I had no idea what they were singing at the time) and stomping our feet in time, which only made the two get a little wilder. Suddenly, one of the seats one of them was pummeling lurched forward. The green cushion popped out of its frame as the frame itself rattled loose. The older kid started laughing, but I could tell he was a bit embarrassed.

“Umm, don’t tell anyone,” he told us. So naturally when the bus driver came back and found the dislodged seat some time later, she asked me who did it.

“I don’t know,” I said. Naturally she believed me, cuz, y’know, I was a good kid.

My best friend, from the early half of grammar school, and I rode the same bus. We’d usually sit with each other before that age when it became cooler to have the entire seat to yourself. He was more of the rough and tumble sort and, well, I was not. I grew up a pretty sheltered childhood, so I was pretty naïve about things. So C was usually my pipeline to the “real” world, at least for a few years. By the time I got on the bus to school, it was usually packed (one of those big buses), so I was always grateful that C would have a spot for me. The other perk of course, was that I was one of the first stops returning from school.

One morning, we were going over homework on the way to school. The radio was on… then the opening riff for “Jack and Diane” stopped everyone in their tracks. I had no idea what was going on, but C stopped in mid sentence. As if some unspoken cue had been given, everyone else began clapping along with the beat of the song. Then of course, the singing. I had no idea what the lyrics were, but I knew how to clap (lucky me). It was a very surreal yet cool moment. Everyone on the bus singing along and clapping – from the first graders to the eighth graders.

When I was in high school, the bus ride must have been at least an hour long. Usually that resulted with me taking a snooze in the morning and on the way back, sometimes in the evening when I stayed late for after school activities. I remember it was a bright sunny day on the way to school – just a few months until summer. I must have been a junior because I remember my brother F was also on the bus. It was, again, one of those large buses. Seating was usually by hierarchy by class, so I was near the back. And yeah, I usually ended up with my own seat by this time ( I guess I was too boring to sit with). I actually knew and was friends with most of the busmates this time around. My classmates liked to have the radio on to a particular station which played a lot of classic rock. So I was kinda surprised when “Handle With Care” from the Traveling Wilburys came one. I was more surprised when TJ started singing and clapping along. It was kinda like that scene from Almost Famous on the bus, only many years before that movie came out. Everyone started joining in as the song went on. By the first refrain, everyone was singing – it was, I admit, one of the best memories of riding the bus.

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I don’t know what it was – we were all individual people with different attitudes, philosophies, and experiences. Maybe I’m just happy for the moment, for however brief, there was a connection of sorts. Maybe because we eventually all go our separate ways, that it nice to know there was a moment when we were all there together.

Even for something as silly as rocking the bus.

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As far as the mouse thing goes, there is poison bait all over the place. No sign of little furry dudes so far.