Bus 22: The Search for Me

People often judge the worth and success of a person by what they do for a living, their education level and/or how much money they earn. Some never achieve success in these terms due to lack of opportunity, ability or circumstance. A few sacrifice themselves for others and then become lost in the fog of life. It can be the loneliest of places. This book is a short story about an ordinary man who sacrificed himself for the people he loved. He faced serious esteem issues with extraordinary humanity and profoundly affected the people around him. His name is Elliot Mitchell. Upon realizing he had been given possibly the most challenging school bus route in the county, he considered quitting, but chose to not give up. Maybe because he saw himself in some of the children or could empathize with their isolation from the main stream school population. Elliot's Mitchell's nick name on Bus 22 was Mr. T, but he is a man that cannot be defined just by his masculinity, physical strength or size. At six feet, five and one half inches tall and two-hundred and seventy pounds, his imposing stature is often what people first notice and remember. He is not however, someone you can know only with your eyes. With the support of a few very good people, he became a hero to some of the children and more importantly, began to find himself. Bus 22 was the start of a transition that changed his life forever. Possibly you will see yourself in this story.