They Smile a Lot

I have been asking around about what the riders like most about the bus drivers. There are many things. One that is standing out is their friendliness. 

What is intriguing is that those whose names came up more frequently smiled a lot. 

While riding with Larry Jones on Sunday, he mentioned in his career as a bus driver he had a trainer who emphasized the importance of smiling. Of the names who surfaced as liked most, they all smiled a lot… in addition to Larry J., Debbie and Dottie’s names came up.

Others are very friendly and accommodating. The drivers whose buses I ride with more have very positive qualities too. Dawn has a friendly, caring voice; Randy a jovial sense of humor; and Dan a cordial professional personality. All good qualities.

There are many other drivers liked and who are friendly, but the Smile Factor stood out as a defining characteristic of those mentioned more frequently. A smile goes a long way in making a person feel welcomed, valued, important.

More to come later on why the drivers are liked by passengers… more observations there. Although the smile factor rose to the surface.

Lesson learned:

Smile… whenever you have the chance. A smile will never hurt you and it may very likely make the other person feel special. When we smile, we can’t help but feeling a little better ourselves too.

“A smile is a light in the window that tells others there is a caring, sharing person inside.” Denis Waitley 

For a great line of Biz Book Summaries with a Spiritual insight check out the Spirit Savvy Business. http://spiritsavvybiz.blogspot.com/

Christmas Day at the Bus Terminal… not what I thought

Well, guess I missed this one. On a mission to be a friend at the bus terminal turned out to be not what I thought it would be.

The journey started out good as I went to the transit office to catch the first bus downtown. There they were... all lined up. Larry Jones, coming in to the office, told me I could go ahead and board one to get out of the cold. Nice gesture.

Then when downtown, as I got off the bus and watched the other buses pull out, I was told by the security guard I was not to hangout there. Told security what I was up to. She said it was not a good day, and few would be waiting at the terminal to board.  Decided to go find a restaurant. It’s Christmas Day and no one's open. Went back to the terminal.

Being a friend to those needing a friend was not there, because no one was there. People were busy going from one bus to the next when they did come in at the top of the hour(only four run on Holidays, and on Christmas Day only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..) So I really missed that one on my presupposition of what I would find, hoped to be/do on Christmas day.

The few there were… going home,  to a friend’s house, Christmas at someone’s house, another texting the whole time. When the buses came in the passengers scurried from one bus to another… not into the terminal. They were coming from the outside going to another part of town.

I think one area where the bus system gets hit sideways is people presuppose what is there, when it is there. The bus patrons were going from one place to another on a Holiday, and using transit as their means of transportation. If a person is not a regular bus user, he may presuppose many incorrect things. I presupposed what was happening at the bus terminal, during a Holiday, that was not there. We need to experience things to find out what really is going on. My mistake taught me a few things.

The lesson learned… find out the rules, conditions, check ahead of time about what you need to do and clear with whomever you need to, know what you are dealing with. Never presuppose what is happening somewhere, find out first.

My objective on Christmas Day was to be a friend to someone needing a friend and find out what passengers liked about the bus drivers. I think I ended up being the lonely guy I thought would be there. Left the terminal and came back home.

At the end of the day, I took 22 one more time. This time to ride around and back to my place, sorting out what I can use in my life the next time.

"Seek first to understand," Stephen Covey.

A Bus Terminal Christmas Day

Nowhere to go for Christmas.

Today I woke up feeling a little sorry for myself.

I was having coffee at my favorite morning coffee spot feeling glum, sad, lonely, thinking nowhere to go for Christmas, no invites, no special place to go on Christmas Day.  As I was staring out the window in the middle of my gloomy, bah humbug mood I see the bus go by.  

I felt a tug of the Christmas Spirit come over me. 

...  thought…

why not be a gift to others lonely during Christmas Day. I could go to the bus terminal and be someone’s friend. This thought ignited my Christmas Spirit, suffering at the moment.

So on Christmas Day I will be a gift to others waiting at the terminal and on the bus that day. Got an unlimited pass, so why not hang around the terminal and be a friend to those needing a friend. Others may have the same lonesomeness as me, but we can turn it around.

Needless to say, the spirit of Christmas came back.  Being a friend to someone needing a friend is the best gift I could give this Christmas. I felt I had a place and between me and someone else, I don't know yet, we can make it one of the most special Christmas Days I, we, have ever had.

Another lesson on the bus… we can be a friend to someone who needs a friend. We can find where they are and be a friend at a timely time.

Snow, cold, riding the bus a better idea

I have heard public transit is the safest and most reliable method of transportation when bad weather hits. A bus driver told me that a study on using a bus in bad weather showed that a bus is the safest method of transportation when it rains, sleets, or snows.

So, I used the bus after a big snow blast that hit the area with single digit temperatures staying below freezing for several days.

It was 9 degrees outside. I was bundled up with layers. Few were on the streets. Snow was plowed off the street unto the curb. Here comes the bus. The bus pulled up a foot or two from the snowy curb. I had to step on this pile of snow to get on. It was a little challenging as my one foot pushed down into the snow when I stepped on the bus. I lost my balance slightly(well, I had a carry bag on my shoulder. It slipped a little and that threw my balance off). The handrails are right there on the door which I hold on to when I board and that steadied me. (One note: The drivers are very conscientious about finding the best spot to pick you up and let you off in such conditions. In this case, the snow plow had just gone through and there was not a very good spot to be found.)

A lot of snow boots were on and off the bus, so the floor was wet from melted snow. I thought it might be slippery, but the new rubber-type floor material gripped my shoes even though very wet from the melted snow. The floor(which had to be some high tech, non-slip composition) actually seemed to provide better traction being wet, and probably safer than any flooring in one’s home.

Once on the bus it proved to be a great way to get around. The bus drivers are very skilled to drive well in inclement weather. The bus is heated so I unbuttoned my coat for the ride.  I was immediately in a warm, temperature controlled environment... a comforting and secure place.

What I appreciated was the peace of mind and comfort while getting around, knowing I didn’t have to be the skilled driver in snow, keeping my car safe from accidents, keeping me safer than in a car,

The terminal is heated as well so I could wait for the bus to return in a warm environment.  When getting off, the walk was a little brisky.  One positive is the walk keeps you warm. So it’s not as bad as the waiting part.

All in all, to face cold for 5 or 10 minutes…  that was the hardest part and that first step… after that it was great. To be warm, without the stress of driving on slick streets, and knowing I was with safe transportation made up the difference.

When it’s snowing and really cold, be sure to dress extra warm with layers, extra socks, thermal gloves, and thorough head covering including ears and nose, and carry as little as possible with you  Then when on the bus you can relax, enjoy the snow scenery and leave the getting around part in the hands of a skilled, experienced driver.

What I learned is the rewards of faith require courage to take that first step. Rewards of faith only come after that step.

Raising the Bottom Raises the Top

As I was riding the bus down Boonvile I saw a line of people waiting to get into Crimson House for an Ozarks Food Harvest distribution. I never saw the line so long before. Things seem to be getting tighter and more are lining up for food.

It made me think of my conversation last summer with someone boarding the bus who was looking for a job. He asked me if I knew of anything. I told him I never had much luck getting a job. I always had to provide a service, using my abilities and experience, that someone would pay me for.  It dawned on me then, and even more so now, I can help these people. What he needs is the skill to make money.

On the bus lines we see people in similar circumstances as those in the food lines. Many have to depend on others to get what they need or want. But we can move from dependence to a greater level of self-confidence, a can-do attitude, to more self-sufficiency. With some additional skills and working together, we all can accomplish more. With basic understanding of the entrepreneur skill anyone can create a flow of income, small or large amounts of money. So I created a program just to do that... teach people how to make just a little more for something important to them.

When a person learns the basics of entrepreneur skills, they can create ingenious ways to survive, get by, and even advance because of difficulty.

(Entrepreneurs look at problems differently. They look for opportunity within a problem. Creatively, they figure out how to flip a problem into an opportunity.)

The average person can learn how to make money, do noble things, and have a little more money for food and bus fares. They all can do something, make something, or sell something that produces income. Put More Cash in Your Pocket, written by an entrepreneur, teaches people one method on earning more money. I like her outline which explains how to create new income within weeks. Then I put alongside this the power of partnering, joint belief using prayer. The plan teaches people the entrepreneurial process while building a self-confident “can do” attitude… and faith in someone Bigger than us, there with us, ready to help.

People waiting at the food distribution lines and those in line to board the bus are the ones who could have the greatest benefit. Jack Stack said in The Great Game of Business that when you raise the bottom you raise the top.

My challenge is how to let the people know about it who need it the most, and motivate them to attend the sessions. I am seeking ideas on ways to get the word out to them. If anyone reading this has any ideas, I am eager to hear them. As I advocate, I need partnering relationships with others as well.

What I learned from riding the bus is we all have something to offer that can make a difference for those around us; there is something we can do to help.

“Give freely what you have received.” Matthew 10:8

 
Dale Shumaker

4spirit@gmail.com

417-224-3517

On-time, key to making it in life

Once I heard a personal development speaking emphasize that the most important principle to  success in anything is… to show up, and be on-time.

I have noticed the bus system runs a very tight clock. No matter where you are you can count on the bus showing up and on-time. It’s one thing they do that amazes me. How do they do that? There are so many variables a bus route handles on every run and they change each time around on a route. If there is anything impressive about the drivers is their skill in handling customers, stopping here and there, waiting for slow traffic or lights, and still go from stop to stop on-time. As a patron, and those in the business setting, being on-time is quite important. We need to plan the day, when and where we will be and make sure we get there… on-time. The bus system provides a very reliable way to do that.

When I go to meetings it seems today many come in a few minutes late. If the bus system teaches a person anything it is, if you are late, no ride.  They are on-time, so the rider needs to be on-time too. Now think what would happen if wherever you go, if you arrived five minutes late, that the meeting, appointment, activity was cancelled for you. You could not attend or be part of it. Sounds too extreme? Five minutes late, six times a day equals a loss of two and a half hours a week… three full weeks a year.

Riding the bus creates this discipline in a person. If a business would insist their people ride the business once a quarter it could make the skill of… learning how to be on-time... become more a part of their habitual behavior.  

On-time is critical to  getting up, going to work, making appointments, meeting project deadlines, paying the bills … being on-time affects all parts of our lives and it has the biggest impact on our own life outcomes. You can count on on-time with the bus and plan a day very precisely.

Just another lesson of life I have learned from riding the bus.

“You may delay, but time will not.”  Ben Franklin

Your Self-esteem May Be Showing

One lesson I am learning from the bus is we may be letting our self-esteem show. I heard a bus rider say one day, “that driver thinks he’s a hot shot.” Much of who we are shows up in our attitude toward others. In psychology it is called projection. We project onto others what is really a reflection of how we feel about ourselves.  As for the statement above, I was thinking possibly this person wants to be the hot shot and he is jealous of someone else being in charge where he isn’t. No one really knows. But many times when frustrated with our own lives, we tend to blame someone else.

We may not truly appreciate the privilege we have to even have a bus system. We may not realize how much it costs to run a public transit service. What does one bus cost to purchase?  What it costs in fuel for one bus to run all day. Then add costs to maintain routes, such as the drivers, mechanics, support people.  It takes a lot of money.  Fed money, city money, fare money just to keep a bus on the streets. The cost over fares is enormous. So, I appreciate that a bus even comes close to where I live. If more used the bus,  it could help cover some expenses. Compared to costs of driving a personal car, it’s quite a deal. With more using public transit all of us could benefit.

Back to “your self-esteem may be showing.”

For a person to have a productive self esteem it takes three things:

1.  A self-esteem boost.

2. Realization of your own gifts and abilities.

3. Someone cheering you on.

Very likely, the bus-rider culture lifestyle doesn't get much of this. No one is boosting or reaffirming their notable qualities; they don’t see or realize they have personal gifts; and few are cheering them on, if any.

What does a person do when this is not present? They complain and blame. They do this out of frustration because they feel they can’t do anything about it. They lack recognition of having any personal power or tapping into their abilities to proactively do something that positively affects their lives and others.

We can do the above three things for the bus rider, and each other in business, family and friends.  By doing this, we can positively affect all aspects of our culture, and not create a contagious infection. In every person-to-person interaction if we reaffirmed a person's value, commended their unique gifts and abilities, and cheered them on, we would see dramatic improvement on all personal relationships … and live more fulfilled and happy lives.
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The bus culture is one key to rebuilding a weakened society. Lift up the weak and it strengthens what can be strong.

“Consider how to encourage and spur each other on to doing good things.”

(Hebrews 10:24)