EDITORIAL DESK Tere are many lessons that movies can teach us. Yes, they can be idealized versions of life, and
reality is anything but a fairy tale. But the message behind many movies, ones that are rightly called “inspirational,” often leave us with one simple theme — never give up. When I took my wife to see “The Fighter,” I had heard very little background on the film’s real-life
By Stephane Babcock Never Give Up
characters, “Irish” Micky Ward and his older, half-brother Dicky Eklund. A few days after cheering during the film’s final fight scene (my wife and I were the only ones in the theater that were cheer- ing for Mark Wahlberg’s character when he won), I thought about the overall message. For one, it was definitely about the importance of siblings and how close they should — and need to — be, something my wife and I stress to our four children. But, beyond that, it was a story about never giving up, even when you face opposition in every
direction. Tis is a lesson that transcends to every level of the school bus industry, from the manu- facturers and contractors, to the districts they serve and to the students who rely on the daily, safe transport the yellow bus provides for them. It seems as though the subject of bullying has been beaten into our heads over the past eight
months. It has been a major topic covered in the national media, by numerous state and national associations and in columns by both myself and our editor, Ryan Gray. And with due cause. Tere is no easy way out when it comes to bullying, no cure-all that will end this crisis, but there are steps that need to be taken, some of which take courage and determination. I have — like most of us — been bullied. Sometimes it ended in a fight and the customary pun-
ishment from the principal. Other times it was worse; it left me feeling alone and insignificant. It was never anything I told my parents about. Te thought of my mother storming into the office to demand the bully’s head on a silver platter was frightening on so many levels, but, most impor- tantly, I thought it would lead to more teasing, more bullying. As a parent, I also understand the other side of that equation — finding out your child is being
bullied creates an instant fire that can make you react quickly and, sometimes, irrationally. I now use the knowledge I have learned over the last few years from this industry as a tool to enlighten the school administration as to the importance of responding to bullying. Sometimes the principal, vice principal or teacher is receptive to the suggestions and information I offer to them and put them to good use, while other times they take it as a jab to their ego that someone like me might be able to teach them something new. But this is not another column just about bullying. As I mentioned, it is about never giving up.
Tis lesson also applies to when you are faced with budget issues or a school board that is not ready to fight for transportation. It should be remembered when a parent tries to point out the news articles that only highlight the crashes and not the benefits that school buses offer. Tis industry is greater than the battle it has fought over the years and the one that still lays before it. Tis is a message that not only needs to be followed, it must also be passed along. When a driver
sees a student who seems to have had a particularly bad day, why not take a moment to tell that child that it won’t define their life, that it gets better, that they are strong enough to survive this and so much more. You would be surprised at how much something as small as a little pep talk can mean to someone, especially a child. After four years in this industry (much less than the majority of our passionate readers), I under-
stand that I am not the first person to express this ideal. “Never give up” is a mantra for many of you out there. It leads to better funding, safer routes and more kids riding to school on the safest transportation on the road. But don’t let successes leave you satisfied. Push yourself to want more. Your passion for the yel-
low bus and the message that passion carries is something that too few people understand and more need to hear. ■
58 School Transportation News Magazine June 2011
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