World Kindness Week Day 2 - Alvin, The School Bus Driver

--by mssmileyface, posted Nov 14, 2012

I took the bus to school every day when I was in grade school. Alvin, our bus driver, came by every morning at 8:00 to pick us up.

We were lower income families. My parents barely made ends meet for them and five of us kids.

Alvin picked up around twenty kids in our area and dropped us off after school. About once a month he would make a stop at the local drive-in. Someone would come out and ask each of us if we wanted an ice cream or a drink. Alvin would pay for the whole bus out of his own pocket. The kindness that he showed was amazing. We didn't get treats like that too often and they are fondly remembered.

I remember him picking us up at the end of the school year and taking us to his home for a barn dance. He would provide drinks and chips for everyone.

Remembering the kindness he showed I called him up twenty years later and thanked him. I told him that he probably wouldn't remember me, but I sure remembered him! We didn't see much kindness from others as we grew up, so it made it all the more special.

I could hear the smile in his voice when he thanked me for calling.

He's the reason I do my best to show kindness to everyone I cross paths with. He's had such a huge impact in my life and I'm so thankful I was able to tell him.

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Posted by mssmileyface
Nov 14, 2012
Comments (13)

Readers Comments

Cindy wrote: It's wonderful that you got the chance to tell this great man how you felt. So many of us miss the kinds of opportunities so kudos to you for acting upon the impulse. And kudos to alvin for being a super human being.

jsmc10 wrote: Aww, this was so fantastic of him! No small act of kindness goes amiss :)

Kiran wrote: Very nice, remembering the incident from past 20 years, his life is huge impacted on him. He maintains in such a way and also he showed gratitude on bus driver. In everyone's life this kind of things happens everywhere. But sometimes it comes into picture. We have to maintain such kind of helping to others

Borsha wrote: I'm impressed you should think of something like that

Edvans wrote: That's way more clever than i was exptecing. Thanks!

heartwarmer wrote: What a kind and generous soul he was, and how wonderful that you let him know what a difference he made in your life!

jenelyn tablizo wrote: Very good to kids. Its a nice story what is ending!

Bayouma wrote: That's amazing! Now beautiful it was of him to do that, all those wonderful things, for a bus full of kids! With a bus driver's salary back then, his heart was much bigger than his wallet.

I know it made his day to be remembered and thanked the day you called!

MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: What a wonderful person he was. I love that you called him and thanked him so many years later! I am sure he loved that he made such an impact on you that 20 years later you remembered him! :)

starryskies wrote: That's really inspiring!! Thanks for sharing your story with us and for letting him know he had such a positive impact on your life! :)

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