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The Bus Incident


 
See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Chuck Norris Story.
Life Lesson #95 – Become a Leader.

 

Christopher always dreaded the bus ride home after school, but at least he had his friend, Carlos, to ride with him. Except today. Carlos was sick and didn’t come to school, so Christopher had to face his daily nightmare alone. Christopher was in the fourth grade, and some of the other kids were in the sixth grade. Now it was time to get on the bus, so Christopher just kept his eyes straight forward as he was walking toward the seat where he normally sat. That’s when one of the sixth graders slid across the aisle from where he had been sitting and blocked the seat for Christopher. Then, to make things even worse, the bus driver called Christopher’s name loudly and told him to sit down, while the older boys continued to tease him and even slap the back of his head.

Well, enough is enough. A sixth grade girl named Amber called to the driver and said it wasn’t Christopher’s fault at all and that the older boys wouldn’t let him sit down. Then, she had a few things to say to those boys! She said, “If you guys could see yourselves as other people see you, you would be really embarrassed. Why is it that you treat people like that, anyway?” Well, the boys just didn’t have an intelligent answer to that question. Then she went on to say, “Does it make you feel big and strong, or does it make you feel smart to pick on someone half your size?” They couldn’t answer that question either, but one thing is for sure, she gave them plenty to think about that day. And then she added, “Why don’t you try HELPING other people, instead of hurting them?”

Amber not only HELPED Christopher, but she also HELPED those boys learn a thing or two about how ridiculous it is to treat people like that, while, at the same time offering them a much better way. And that’s when it happened! At least one of those boys began to see in himself what Amber had seen all along. He strongly and suddenly began to understand that HELPING others IS infinitely better than hurting them. And he made a conscious choice in that moment to start treating others the way he would want to be treated!

– Jim Lord