Jesus Loves Me, Yes I Know
They are proud of what they’ve learned at the end of each day, testing each other on math or science or history. Religion also gets its fair share of questions and answers. Every once in a while they’ll toss me a slow pitch to see if I’m keeping up. If the gameshow contestants start to waiver, I’ll ask them what the square root of nine is or who the 16th president of the United States was. A quick alliance is created and a volley of stern rebuttals is strongly delivered.
"We don't do that stuff yet," one will say in a passionate higher octave. "Those are big kids questions," says another without a lot of emphasis.
"My bad, my bad," I reply as we rumble on down the road.
Singing is also a large part of the journey home from school. “Jimmy Cracked Corn" (and he don't care) as well as "He's Got The Whole World" (in His hands) are two staples they enjoy. My beginning vocals for “The Itsy Bitsy Spider" (went up the water spout) brings another round of jeers and statements of condemnation. "Those are for babies," I am told with complete confidence. And again, I ask forgiveness with "my bad." The time and season of year will change and a whole new play list of musical ditties are shared and practiced with their seat mate or other rider in front of them, behind them, or across the aisle.
In early November, we honor the men and women who served our country with Veterans Day. Every branch of the armed services is recognized in song and the choir seated me behind has little trouble with the lyrics or the melody. The Coast Guard anthem is a tad sketchy, but they handle all the others without missing a beat.
And now we’re up to Christmas. The classic carols are bellowed out with a carefree joy that is contagious. It’s impossible not to join the munchkins with broad smiles and giggling laughter. "Silent Night" is given the reverence it deserves, but “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" is by far the absolute favorite. The ad-lib additions are where they accept my participation without quarrel. “…had a very shiny nose" (my line) "like a lightbulb!" or “…used to laugh and call him names" "like Pinocchio!" (also mine). I sang "pistachio" recently and was reprimanded again.
I have a hope that someday when they have children of their own they’ll fondly remember the goofy old dude behind the wheel, driving the Merry Minstrels home. Merry Christmas.
