The View From My Window

This is one of my favorite posts that I wrote one year ago today. Work will have me tied up the next few days so I thought I'd share it again as I hadn't met many of you last year.

I have had several jobs. I hate working in an office, sitting in one place most of the day usually far from a window or when there is a window the view is usually of another building. The paperwork was more or less the same day after day. I thought working for a travel agency would be great but they didn't give you any time off to travel. I have worked as a cashier in both a grocery store and a discount department store. This was a little better because of all the people I met and the different personalities but standing all day did in my back so I was in pain everyday. I have cropped tobacco in the summer and harvested a corn field by hand. Backbreaking and dull but at least it was outside.

For me driving a bus is the perfect job. I don’t have to sit all day, I don’t have to stand all day. I love being with the kids and they always come up with something new to either amaze me or just keep me on my toes. They know my expectations and generally live up to them. Rarely are two days the same.

The best thing is the window view. I sit behind a giant picture window where the view changes constantly. It changes minute by minute and season by season. Yes I could do without the snow but there is beauty in that too. I get to watch the sun rise each morning and part of the year I get to watch it set also. Because I chose to work out here in the country, instead of making more money at a large suburban district, I have the opportunity to enjoy the view. On some of the roads that I travel I rarely see another vehicle and if I do chances are I recognize the other driver and waves and smiles are exchanged.

I like to watch the seasons change. Right now the bulbs and perennials are just starting to come up. Soon the greenhouses will be open and yards will fill with flowers. The fall foliage is spectacular.

Early in my route I cross a one lane bridge and later a draw bridge. How many of those are left? I cross the tracks 14-18 times a day and at 8 of those crossings I often see deer down the tracks while I’m stopped looking for trains. My current route has peasant and turkey crossings. In the spring the flocks of geese appear as clouds in the sky. One of the farms I pass still uses work horse as often as they use their tractors.

I’m sure I could find a job with a higher annual salary but I wouldn’t get thirteen weeks of vacation and I'd miss the view.