Seeing The Value In Others

Bus Driver

“I’m just a bus driver/and what do I know” This is part of the chorus to one of my favorite songs. It’s a song called Bus Driver by Cademons Call. It’s from 1997 but it’s just as relevant today as it was then. My parents always told me that you never look down on anyone because you feel like their job is less than yours. There are parts of your job and life that depend on other things that you don’t see at first glance. It’s so important to see the value in other people.

This song does an excellent point of painting that picture for you.

I am a bus driver and it’s four in the morning
And I’m pressing out my clothes beside my bed
Fourteen years been on the job
And with many miles behind
Still I’m up at 3:30 to make sure I’m there on time
My car gets me along just fine
To and from the station
But my castle is this Houston metro bus
My first stop is Ashbury
And the sign’s been gone for years
All the same the people wait
Cause they know that I’ll be there

More Than Just

So this guy is a bus driver, he’s been one for 14 years. He knows his route (even when the signs are missing), he knows traffic patterns, and he’s always sure to be on time. Personally, he has a car that gets him where he needs to go but he’s there for the people that don’t.

He asks the question “what would you say if I told you I wouldn’t be by today? Would you say that I’m just a bus driver and what do I know?”

What would you say
If I told you that I won’t be by today
Would you say that
I’m just a bus driver
And what do I know
Just a bus driver
And what do I know
Just a bus driver
And what do I know

To the company who has employees they depend on to get to work, even though the CEO is driving a Bentley what would he say if they all couldn’t come in because that guy that is “just a bus driver” couldn’t make it today?

Not to worry though, he’s always there and sometimes he’s even early-

I’m always there by 5:15
And lately, I’ve been early
Cause Judith likes to be in early to the bank
And she gives me conversation
And a token good for riding
And she’s happy all alone
And then there’s Charles in retail sales
And I hope they pay him well
For the work that young man does
Cause I’ve never seen the inside of a custom refrigerator
But I know that he’s the first and last one there

And I wonder what they do all day
At their respective works
I suppose they give money and take money away
Still, I’m just orbiting this town
With the post office my sun
And I’m circling again

Judith and Charles may or may not realize how much they depend on this bus driver. Not just for getting them from one place to the other, but the time he takes to invest in his day (and them in his). What would happen if the bus was automatically driven and there was no conversation to be had?

But what can I see
From the limited confines of my bus driving seat
Only me

We’re all bus drivers, helping each other get where they need to go, even indirectly. It’s hard to remember sometimes but there is a much bigger picture to what we can see from the confines of our driving seat. It’s a reminder to be kind, try and have patience, and realize that we are not above or below anyone. There’s a lot of working pieces to this thing called like and they have to work together for things to work well.

Hurricane Season always reminds me of this when there’s a storm coming and I go to the grocery store. What would I do if that cashier didn’t come to work that day? If that bagger or the guy who stocks the shelves said he didn’t want to show up? I’d be in trouble. What if no one wanted to work sanitation? We’d really be in a situation then. No one is “just a…” We’re all part of the bigger picture of life.

Just a bus driver
And what do I know
I’m just a bus driver
So don’t believe that
Just a bus driver
Well don’t believe that
Just a bus driver
Well don’t believe that
We’re all just bus drivers
And it’s time to go home