My years of supervision bus duty paid off in an usual way yesterday.

     My dear friend, Laurie ( the lady that I wrote about on March 22nd when she and I encountered the 35 year old celebrating her birthday) had never had the Plum Street Snow Ball experience. She and I were playing tourist in our beloved New Orleans. We had just ridden over the new and improved Huey Long Bridge and had pastry at the Artisan Bakery on Oak Street. While on our way home,I discovered that Laurie had never had a Plum Street snow ball.
"Sacrilege." I exclaimed
      So off we went to retrace our steps. Twenty minutes later,we were parked and Laurie was waiting in line while I sat on a double sided bench under an umbrella. My side of the bench faced the one-way street about three feet from the curb.
     Next to me was a precious young girl, probably around five. She was enjoying a bubble gum blue snowball. Mom was eating a snow ball too. Mom got up and crossed the street to her car where the motor was running. The precious little girl got up to go towards her mother just as a car was coming down the street.
    Those years of bus duty kicked in, I jumped up, placed my arm in front of the quickly moving little girl and I said,"Sweetie, there is a car coming." The little one stumbled and fell onto her knees and spilled some of her treasured snowball. 
     The woman on the opposite side of the bench said, "Quick thinking." I was so relieved and grateful for all those years of bus duty!
     Mom said to the little one,"Mommy was just getting her phone." I believe that the little girl though that her mother was leaving when her mother headed to the car and opened the door. Mom had not said anything to the little one before she left the bench.
    Thank you God for the training.