AUGUST 18th: Bus Orientation

On the bus, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

The Big Yellow. That's what we called it in our house growing up. My sisters were too cool to ride the big yellow and so they got driven most every day. I, however, had the experience of riding the bus like the plebeian that I am (or oldest child as the case may be). This is a picture of my little shy girl heading off on her first bus trip at the school bus orientation. She seemed to weather it well.

I am told that the first year I rode the bus to school, I came home exclaiming, "MOM! Do you know what a big black dick is?" And when my mom cleverly asked me, "WHY????" I responded that people were calling each other that on the bus. Oh yikes.

Then, when I was in first grade, I remember riding the bus for weeks in terror. There was a fifth grader, who got on about ten stops after me, that would find me and sit in my seat. He would proceed to flip his eyelids inside out at me. Not only was it the creepiest looking thing, but he was a tongue-wagging asshole. He used his power to torture me. I went home and held this abuse a secret. I didn't tell anyone for at least a month. I stopped enjoying school and played sick a lot. My mother had no idea what was wrong until I finally blurted it out in bed one evening as she was putting me to bed. I have no idea, to this day why I thought I shouldn't tell anyone about this. Double yikes.

Today, as I write this blog (I am WAY behind), it is the actual first day of kindergarten. Today Elena will be getting on the real bus, the one that will take her away from me and into the world of independence. That big yellow doesn't just take them to school, does it?