I Heart NY & Bus Driver Wisdom

I really do. Whoever created the myth of the angry/rude New Yorker was smokin' some shrooms while they were here.

One of my life rules is to always say 'thank you' to the bus driver. This morning I discovered why. Minutes into my bus ride to work, our driver turned on the speaker and in a booming, warm voice, said something to the effect of:

"Ladies and gentlemen - put a smile back on your faces. Things really aren't that bad now, are they? Just smile. All those sad, tired faces - come on. I know going to that job is tiring but think about this - your bills are getting paid and you have a job. Smile, everyone.

Ladies, especially you - come on, gimme a smile. There we go. Just smile - be glad you're not married to me.

You know, some people think the glass is half-full, some half-empty - me, I'm just glad I've got some water."

I was grinning ear to ear by this point and the entire bus was chuckling. When I got off, I smiled and said my usual 'thank you' - and the driver starts booming again:

"Now there we go - that's what I call a smile! Look at that ladies and gentlemen - there's some smile this early in the morning. Now that's what I'm talking about...SMIIIILE........"

I heard him repeating this all the way down the block. I wish I had gotten his name so I could've written to the MTA about him. He wasn't the crazy annoying type - just a genuine spoonful of sugar on this gloomy day in NYC.

I truly heart NY.