Life Lesson Number 38

Dickson County lost one of its finest people recently, Mr. Ferebee. He was a husband and father, grandfather, and painter by trade, but to several kids in Tennessee City, along CCC Road, and in the Hillcrest Community he was the best school bus driver EVER. Mr. Neil drove us to and from school every day on a long 2 hour route that took us on dusty, country roads. He cared about the kids on the bus, giving us a treat at Christmas and at the end of the year. There were a few fights on the bus and Mr. Neil would stop, and with his kind, gentle demeanor, he would break up the fights. Many times he would put kids on the front seat for being loud or for not sitting in their seat. He truly cared for the kids who road on his bus. Many years ago a girl from the bus had died in an accident at home. He sent flowers from "Bus 38" and met us at the funeral home with tears in his eyes. He had set her on the front seat many times, because he cared from her. He wanted her to be a good kid, a better person. He had disciplined her because he cared.
Mr. Neil got us to school on time, but there were days we did not make it home on time in the afternoons. About once or twice a month, he would pull over on a dusty, country road, turn off the bus, and give us a speech. Sometimes he would talk to us about being too noisy or too rowdy on the bus, but most of the time he would talk to us about life, about being a better person. As I said, he cared about the kids on that bus.
And the 'kids' from that bus cared about him too. So, I extend my sympathy to the family of Mr. Neil. We learned a lot of things on that bus from Mr. Neil, how to behave and how to be a better person. Riding bus 38 was a character building experience, especially with Mr. Neil and all of his speeches and life lessons.
Mr. Neil, thanks. You will be missed.