A Season for Everything

Last night was the bus company’s annual driver appreciation banquet. It’s the company’s chance to do something nice for the drivers (they have to do something because they don’t pay as well as other companies) and for everyone to get a pat on the back for a job well done. Rookies are introduced, service pins are awarded to those with one, five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five years in. More than that and I think they have a nice padded room waiting at the local mental hospital (just kidding). Perfect attendance is recognized and the top 25 drivers. Drivers 25-11 get a certificate and a handshake. Drivers 10-6 get a nice company jacket embroidered with their name and a handshake. Drivers 5-1 get a jacket and a cash award. There are 118 drivers. Last year I was number nine. This year I was number six! Woot!! It was kind of embarassing, though. The man doing the presenting went on and on about how I’d let the kids decorate my bus back when the Steelers went to the Super Bowl and how I’d led them in a big on-bus pep rally.

I also told my supervisor I wouldn’t be back in the fall. I didn’t want to do it last night, but my hand kind of got forced. It was on the fly and we didn’t get to talk, but hey, it’s done and over with. Time to move on.