Last week was the beginning of the new school year for us. We have to drive our kids about a quarter-mile from our house to the bus stop each morning. It’s always a challenge to shift from the more relaxed summer mornings schedule to the strict school year schedule. This is not an easy or fun adjustment!
We have nick-named the bus driver, “Debbie-digital”. She is almost like a computer. How she keeps such a tight schedule day after day and week after week is beyond me. I mean, especially when you consider that she’s picking up dozens of little kids day after day and they are not always coming out the door as quickly, or they’re forgetting their backpack or lunch box and having to run back to get them, etc.
Last year I think we discovered her secret to being on time: she is willing to leave anyone behind in an effort to maintain her schedule! Sounds kind of cruel to leave a kindergartener behind, I know. Not just a few times in the past have we been just one minute late to the bus-stop, only to find Debbie-digital had come and gone. George W. Bush may have promoted a “no child left behind” policy for our schools, but Debbie-digital has her own creed! While it would be more comfortable for us if Debbie would relax a bit and wait a couple of minutes if we are late, this would compound itself in problems down the line. Other parents and students would be required to wait longer and longer each time Debbie chose to wait for the tardy people. No one wants to have to wait many extra minutes because of other people’s decisions. And this would be the case if Debbie-digital was not intentional about being on time at each of her stops!
Many years ago I attended a church leadership conference and one of the speakers taught on the importance of punctuality. The talk radically impacted my view of time. To this day (almost 20 years later) I can remember the session he taught! For those who regularly struggle with being on-time or who have never really considered punctuality as having any great importance, over the next several blogs I will be sharing some key thoughts and principles that will help you make some meaningful changes.
Dane's Blog 
As I read this, Craig and the boys are kickin’ up dust to get to our own Debbie-digital, only her name is Diane-Digital. I sure would like to be a fly on the wall of one of those bus driver meetings in Greene! I wonder what they say to motivate these drivers to be so exact. The elementary driver of last year had been driving for 20+ years and is just as punctual. I am looking forward to hearing what you have gleaned.
Anyway, we know well the next 3-4 stops where a student will have enough time to dive out of the car and run to the open doors without throwing off the route by more than a second.
Now, this morning Craig got up extra early to be sure that HE was ready to walk out the door. He commented on how good he felt this morning since he was not rushed. Unfortunately, the kids were not so diligent this morning. God bless Craig for his patience. Tomorrow provides another opportunity to improve. Thank God for tomorrow….I better get to work 🙂
Reblogged this on Dane's Blog and commented:
Fall is officially here. School is back in full swing. And we all are faced with great demands on our time.
I think you got a good point I do not have children but the bus across the street that pick up those children does not know what in the world she is doing.She never watches on the other cars and pickup that is around her and it really scears me of her are someone else getting hit or killed.But I just gave it to the Lord to have pretention on her and the children and the cars and trucks around them seems like bus driver used to care more than they do not they just in to much hurry.
Dane, you are meddling with one of my bad habits! A timely (no pun intended!) reminder that I am being careless of other people’s time when I am perennially late (just a few minutes!). Thx & love you, Mom