1962 BUS RIDES

OUR 1962 BUS RIDES When I was 11 and my sister, Schleria, was 9 or 10, we represented the youth of our home church, St. Matthew C.M.E. Church, of Kirkwood, Missouri at the annual summer District Conference in St. Louis. We rode the bus to the city, which was about a 15 mile bus ride from where we lived on Big Bend Blvd. A lady from our church, Miss Armenta Bell, our church treasurer, was supposed to escort us through the maze of bus passes and transfers needed to get to Parrish Temple C.M.E. Church, the conference location at or near Union and Delmar Streets, from our suburban St.Louis County home. The first day went like clockwork. We met her at the bus stop near our house and we arrived on time at the conference without any incidents. There, we met other youth from various churches, and had a great time meeting, eating, observing, listening, drinking , conversing, bowling, reading, singing, laughing, in short, just being happy kids away in summer on our own with peers. The next day, however , when the bus came, Miss Bell did not appear. In fact, she did not appear for the rest of the week! But the first day really posed a dilemma for me, the oldest, who was responsible for my sister; but who was not altogether sure, that I could find my way there or back that evening. The bus was there while we waited and mulled what to do: go back home or go on! We went on. Paying our fare and asking for a transfer , I told the bus driver where we wanted to go and asked how to get there. He told me to sit near the front and he would put me and Schleria off at the right stop for our next bus. With the transfer we could switch to that bus and ask for further directions for our destination. We did so. And we made it downtown and back safely ! The rest of the week we repeated the process until at the end of our conference, I was very confident. Later that first day that Miss Bell did not show up at the bus stop , I told Mama and Daddy, who were surprised. They asked us how did we get downtown to the conference . I related to them how. They expressed pride and praise for our abilities to be so young, inexperienced and to be able go so far on our own, being unaccustomed to riding busses. Happily, they let us continue with or without Miss Bell to commute to the conference, which we did. It was a great adventure for young folks! As for Miss Bell, I later heard that she had stolen some money from the church while treasurer. There must be a moral or proverb in there somewhere. “Whoever cannot handle a small thing cannot handle great things.” Or something like that. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 The End.