Peace – Delightfully Infectious!!

A few weeks ago, I had finished unloading my elementary school students and afterwards I had found a lunch box that had been left behind. I moved my bus out of the way, parked it and then I hunted down the student who was playing with his friends and handed his lunch box back to him. As I was returning to my bus, another bus had pulled in with its students. Something about this other bus had caught my eye and I took a second, closer look…

I noticed that several of the windows were filled with students’ art – peace art that is! I smiled and walked closer so that I could see what they had drawn.

As the last few students got off the bus I heard my name being called out, “Mr. Jim! This is The Peacebus Volume II! Do you like it?” I turned, smiled, laughed and reported that I didn’t really like it very much… “I LOVE IT!!!!”

For over a month, two students who ride my bus were bringing me artwork for The Peacebus that had been created by their schoolmates. Katie was the student I was now talking with and she told me that she’ll still make artwork for my bus, “but my friends and I really wanted to create our own Peacebus filled with our own art!” I told her that I was really proud of her and her friends for doing this.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if all the other buses became Peacebuses?” I asked her. “I sure hope so, cuz peace is cool!” We both laughed.

Not only were these students thinking about and drawing pictures of peace, they were also creating drawings of awareness, addressing some rather serious issues. This artwork, which is taped to the inside roof of the bus, tells us to eat healthy foods to stay alive. I’m thinking that this artwork was the result of a teacher’s lesson on this subject and wouldn’t the teacher be amazed to realize that someone was listening – LOL!!!

It’s a well-known fact that every action has a consequence. It brings a warm smile to my face to know that the consequence of The Peacebus’ birth was the birth of The Peacebus Volume II.

That night, when I went to bed, I closed my eyes and envisioned a world full of Peacebuses in every school, town, city and country around the world. “What a wonderful world that would be.”

Jim

A Peaceful PS – In just two hours I will be driving The Peacebus on its last runs for this school year. Yup! Today is the last day of school and tomorrow is the first day of summer vacation!!!

I want to thank all of the students whom I became friends with this year, for sharing a small part of there lives with me. “Your smiles delight me. Your efforts encourage me. And your art has inspired me! Thank you for such a glorious experience. I will think of you all, often, and I wish you all success and happiness for the rest of your lives!”

As a parting gift, I will leave you with this link to a most inspiring song by my favourite Rock’N’Roll band… “Love and Peace… or Else” by U2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUsTNuUEs2k&feature=related