In my case, it was the moments of music, singing and laughter on the bus that suddenly made the day a heart-warming and endearing experience that brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.
It was a Friday, a sunny October day, and I was on the bus back to the valley from a visit to my father in Šmartno pri Pohorju. I was waiting for the bus in the middle of the day, together with primary school children. Some of the children had bags of musical instruments with them, as they were on their way to Slovenska Bistrica, where they attend music school. Finally, the bus arrived and the driver greeted the (young) passengers with a smile on his face.
It warmed my heart to see how kindly the children greeted the driver (as too often we hear grumblings about ill-mannered and rude youngsters and children). Once we were all seated in our seats, the driver kindly chatted to the schoolchildren and asked them how they were and how they had spent the day. Then some of the children told him that they were going to music school, so they had their musical instruments with them, carefully stowed away in their bags.
The driver started to play a joke on them, saying that it was such a beautiful day and that they could play something for him, because he would love to hear them. The chauffeur's friendly banter soon melted some of the children's initial shame. So some of the children started to find the idea interesting.
And then it happened - one of the boys sniffed around and took a guitar out of his bag. Just a few opening chords were enough to make all of us on the bus loudly express our excitement and encouragement.
Soon the boy was joined by a young girl who played the accordion, and we were all caressed by her pleasant voice. It wasn't long before we were all on the bus singing songs with big smiles on our faces and nodding appreciatively to each other.
It was so nice to see the proud smiles of the children when they received praise and applause at the end of the song, and the sparkles in their eyes when they played their favourite song. It was also nice to see the joy of the driver when the children brightened his day.
When we arrived in Slovenska Bistrica, I used the last moments on the bus to ask our driver Zoran about his impressions. He replied, "In this kind of work, sometimes the days drag on. We always have to be alert on the road, but even more so when we are driving schoolchildren, because we have to look after our children. Today's experience really brightened my day, especially because I am not someone who would force anyone to do something they don't want to do. And to hear the children singing and playing joyfully is something very beautiful. This day will remain in my memory for a long time."
I have been travelling by bus since I was a child, first to school, then to college, and in recent years on trips and errands, but no journey has ever been so beautiful and heart-warming. It has carried stories of togetherness, warmth and sparkles in the eyes. It is a story of spontaneity and inspiration, of how small actions can leave big footprints in the heart. Above all, no other ride has ever before carried the values of connectedness in music while singing local Slovenian music and a sense of belonging, with no difference in age between the children and the rest of the passengers.
Amadeja Mlakar, 11. 10. 2025
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