Driving the big bus at work makes me feel like a character in Richard Scarry’s Busytown, alive with purpose, and surrounded by co-laborers who manage to unite both ease and zeal in their activities of daily living. Or like a happy version of the sad butler from The Remains of the Day, where I am married to my professional duties, instead of to Emma Thompson.
Never have I felt more underemployed than when I had two kids I was busy taking care of and was reading Richard Scarry day in and day out silently aching for the purpose of a lowly worm. I also will never forget when my four year old straight up asked me what happened to all the people in those books. What people? I asked him. He squinted at me, You know . . . all the people who died before the animals took over. How did they die?
And then I realized for him it was a haunting tale of a post-human world and I have never quite looked at them the same.
You are definitely going to get the hang of Bingo! I imagine it’s like being a substitute teacher for kindergartners and trying to do circle time. Those kids have one way that they want circle time to go and it’s how their regular teacher does it and woebetide the sub who doesn’t do it that way. The opinions about Bingo may be strong but you’ll be able to gracefully balance them just like how you drive the bus!
Genuinely thrilled for you. I’ve been on a decade-long quest to find the perfect writer day job. Can’t say I recommend lawyer. For ages I thought postman, but there are no postman jobs. Yours sounds great
One of the things I love about senior care — not that it’s a perfect field — is the group living is exactly the kind of mixed-use walkable communities people are always talking about wanting on social media. We have a little post office, a dining room, a bistro, a front desk everyone hangs out at — it’s like that Vonnegut quote about buying envelopes all day here.
I have a friend who used to be a high school teacher and then a few years ago became postmaster for a post office on a tiny island and now she is so happy.
Out of an oceanic reserve of curiosity, with which finger do you admit egress and ingress to the Big Bus? And is it the same as that with which you deny either?
Never have I felt more underemployed than when I had two kids I was busy taking care of and was reading Richard Scarry day in and day out silently aching for the purpose of a lowly worm. I also will never forget when my four year old straight up asked me what happened to all the people in those books. What people? I asked him. He squinted at me, You know . . . all the people who died before the animals took over. How did they die?
And then I realized for him it was a haunting tale of a post-human world and I have never quite looked at them the same.
You are definitely going to get the hang of Bingo! I imagine it’s like being a substitute teacher for kindergartners and trying to do circle time. Those kids have one way that they want circle time to go and it’s how their regular teacher does it and woebetide the sub who doesn’t do it that way. The opinions about Bingo may be strong but you’ll be able to gracefully balance them just like how you drive the bus!
Counterpoint: you could just have a bunch of grumpy seniors. I used to call bingo at my job and the seniors were filthy...
caller: "O-69"
all reply: "Oh glory!"
And they looooved telling the young gentleman volunteers "you dropped your balls" every time the balls would go skittering out of the bingo basket.
Excellent use of "woebetide" btw. This plus aplomb is just wonderful, wonderful.
Genuinely thrilled for you. I’ve been on a decade-long quest to find the perfect writer day job. Can’t say I recommend lawyer. For ages I thought postman, but there are no postman jobs. Yours sounds great
One of the things I love about senior care — not that it’s a perfect field — is the group living is exactly the kind of mixed-use walkable communities people are always talking about wanting on social media. We have a little post office, a dining room, a bistro, a front desk everyone hangs out at — it’s like that Vonnegut quote about buying envelopes all day here.
I have a friend who used to be a high school teacher and then a few years ago became postmaster for a post office on a tiny island and now she is so happy.
I have also been thinking postman. It’s on my list.
"a happy version of the sad butler from The Remains of the Day, where I am married to my professional duties, instead of to Emma Thompson"
😭
Well, this was a delight!
Maybe you will be a busdriver/author like the main character in the movie PATERSON.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/24/paterson-review-adam-driver-jim-jarmusch
Fun fact, he learned to drive a bus for that role.
Me but about writing on the board (teacher)
Just here to say that that was a five-star use of the word ‘aplomb.’ We should do more things with aplomb. Wonderful.
So funny!!
Out of an oceanic reserve of curiosity, with which finger do you admit egress and ingress to the Big Bus? And is it the same as that with which you deny either?
(In other words, WHICH FINGER HOLDS THE MAGIC, WILLOW??)
Boys will be boys (complimentary) ☺️