I am afraid of school buses.
Nothing bad has ever happened to me on a bus (except for being excluded from the “way back” by the cool kids). And, I realize that schools have taken steps to make their buses safer for kids.
But, when I was in grade school in the 70’s, I was made to watch a Bus Safety Movie that scarred me for life. It was sort of Scared Straight for 5th graders, minus the jail scenes.
In one scene, a little girl exits the bus and runs in front of it as she crosses the street. Her handmade Valentine card slips from her folder and flutters to the ground, directly in front of the bus’ grill. She stops and runs back to grab her Valentine just as the bus driver steps on the gas. Cut to the Valentine blowing away down the street.
Another scene has a group of kids roughhousing as they climb over a snowbank to get onto the bus. The last kid in line slips and slides down the bank. . .under the bus. Buh-bye.
There were other equally horrifying scenes which probably live on in my subconscious somewhere.
So, while I may not remember a lot of what I was taught in school, I have internalized one thought:
Stay away from the bus.
Maybe THAT is why I homeschool.
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