I attended Wisconsin public school in the Flambeau School District. This was a large rural district covering many miles throughout the Rusk County villages of Ingram, Sheldon, Glen Flora, Conrath and Tony. During my twelve school years (from first grade to a senior in high school), Paul Krisik was my bus driver. Our farm was located near the beginning of the bus route, so ours was one of the first stops on the route in the morning and near the last stop in the late afternoon.

The bus ride was a pleasure for me. I had a couple friends I to sit with and we would talk, read books, or do our homework on the long, twice daily bus ride.  During grade school I got off the bus in Ingram. A small brick building with three classrooms, and two grades per room. That was where I spent first through sixth grade. Middle school in Glen Flora was for grades seven and eight.  During middle school, I became aware of current clothing trends and fashion and more keenly aware of how I dressed differently than many of the other students.

In our religious tradition, girls were not allowed to wear jeans, and had to wear modest dresses where the hem line landed at mid-calf. Showing the feminine knee was forbidden as was the shoulder. The elbows and ankles were apparently acceptable body parts to be viewed by the opposite sex and not cause them to have lustful thoughts or sexual fantasies. But I digress.

It was in middle school that I decided I was not going to wear the big black rubber boots during the winter months. These boots were worn over the top of my shoes to protect the footwear and ensure the shoes would last longer. I expect they were handed down from older siblings and were probably a size or two too big. Each morning I dutifully put on the rubber boots, but once I got on the bus, I took off the boots and placed them under the seat. Then on the ride home, I would sit in the same seat and put my boots back on so that when I arrived home, no one was the wiser that I hadn’t actually worn the boots to school. That is, until one day.

When I got on the bus in Glen Flora, Paul the bus driver, had my boots in his hand. He explained that during the day at his home when he was cleaning out the bus, his dog had found my boots and chewed a hole in the toe. He quickly assured me he had been able to patch the boot by turning the boot inside-out and gluing the patch on the inside so that it was not visible from the outside.

As I started to apologize for leaving my boots on the bus, he gave me a slight smile and said there was no need to worry or change my daily routine. He would ensure the dog would not get my boots again. I was so appreciative of his kindness and understanding. What a gem he was!