If I COULD

I find I often play the game "If I Could" within myself. Dangerous thing to do as I know I'm to be content with the life I'm now living...but it's like the devil in me makes me do it! In thinking about my former post on bus driving, I sometimes wonder why my life has always included the need to still drive bus...even though I realize there are some things I really enjoy about it. One of those things is driving through different neighborhoods and seeing all the homes and how people uniquely make it their own, at least from the outside. I think about the ones I wish that I could be living in... and alot of times wonder why my paychecks have never afforded me the luxury of living in ones like those I see! ! The picture above is one of my favorites here in Chaska....If my paychecks let me live on Easy Street...this would be the house I would choose. I love the green shutters with red trimmed windows, the fact the garage doors are on the side so you don't see "all garage" when driving by and I adore the window boxes. It has just the right combination of vintage, shabby, farmhouse, and of course has "water" in the back yard ! Another one of the things I enjoy about bus driving I was fortunate enough to see again on my afternoon route yesterday.....and oh how I wish I could have gotten a picture of it... cuz it just warms my heart every time I see it. I was driving through a neighborhood over in Chanhassen that I just love. The houses are charming, a bit on the upscale side of town. I had high schoolers onboard..I had to stop for an oncoming bus that was just letting off elementary schoolers so I could just rest a bit and take in the view of it all.... and there it was, a large-sized dad hustling down the sidewalk towards me to meet his 3rd grader... he had the hugest smile on his face which completely matched the eagerness in his eyes and the best thing about it was his large arms completely outstretched wide open for his child to rush in to. To me, this is one of the best scenes a bus driver gets. If only every child could be greeted at the end of their school day by someone waiting there outside for them, arms outstretched, love in their voice and a great big hug. I don't remember ever having that as a child....other than remembering being older and calling my dad with my problems and he would always say "come a-runnin' dollface"... meaning I could come home whenever I needed to. But worse yet, I don't remember ever giving that to my own children. I was their bus driver, so I saw them each night after school but I think there is something to a kid not having to learn the combination to the lock box on the side of the garage and coming home to an empty house after a day out in the world. Anyway, getting back to my thoughts on "If I Could" this is one thing I would do differently if I had the chance to do it all over again....