March 2002:
A staff meeting was called; the bus routes needed to be streamlined a bit. We would be switching vans; the van I was on would be getting the little girl in the wheelchair, since our route took us by her house anyway. Since I was the 'low man on the totem pole', I kept my mouth shut, until my driver began shaking his head and objecting to the change.
I quickly realized our boss wasn't reacting well; he'd made a decision and that was final. So when D began outlining his objections, and B, the other driver, began listing the reasons for why it made sense, I spoke up and pointed out to D that I'd be the one moving her in and off the van; he didn't have to worry about hurting his back. Plus, the one child we picked up who didn't tolerate change very well could still keep his front seat, plus attended the same school as A (the one in the wheelchair), so I thought the transition would be minimal. My boss looked relieved when my words seemed to be getting through to D; he grudgingly agreed to try it, but still insisted it 'wasn't going to work.'
But as it turned out, I was right, and having A on the bus provided a calming effect on my 'troubled child'...he behaved himself for the first several weeks, but then screwed up in school and was expelled. I don't know what ever became of him, but I hope someone was able to get a grasp of his situation and get him the help he needed. It was the first time my influence was not enough to turn a 'problem child' into a productive member of society. Granted, I only had three hours of the kid's time every day, but still, a part of me felt I'd failed him.
Baseball-wise, I received some great news: One of the moms stepped up to be the Head Coach of the girls; Amy informed me I didn't need to be Assistant Coach anymore. I told her I'd be thrilled to be 'Dugout Mom'-the one who kept order in the dugout and made sure the girls were in the correct batting order and with the right bat and helmet:)
I also had a neighbor tell me L had approached her about helping with the concession stand.
"I told her since she wanted it enough to take you out of it, then she could get her own volunteers. I'd only work if you asked me to. And several other people agree with me; there was nothing wrong with the way you handled it the past two years, and unless she puts you back in charge, she's going to have a tough time finding people to work it."
So tempers will still hot over the change; the next two months would indeed prove interesting.
Next month: Disappointment From The Girls' Softball Coach.
Present Day:
Gearing up for the Final Four weekend:) Here's my picks for the final game, held on Monday:
Kentucky
Kansas.
And it could just as easily be Louiville and Ohio.....but at this time, I'm hoping Kentucky wins the whole thing. And yes, I have two bags of pistachios stashed for Saturday night!
And don't forget to check The Writer's Evo blog on Sunday: Topic is (what else?) April Fools' Day Pranks:)
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