Waiting For The Bus To College On Cold Winter Days

I'm proud to say that I am a graduate of Utica College, and as I was playing a Beatles song on Oldiez 96.1 yesterday, it took me back to my college days. I was a commuter student living in Utica and had to walk downtown to catch a city bus to the UC Burrstone Road campus.

city bus with passengers

OK, this isn't one of those father stories like, "When I was your age, I used to walk five miles to school every day". But, with the recent cold snap we had, I do recall during my freshmen year, walking about 8 blocks to the Busy Corner in downtown Utica in the dead of winter to wait for the bus. I didn't have a car, so that was my transportation.

One winter day in particular, I was waiting in front of the then Daw's Drug Store at the busy corner bus shelter for the bus. As I looked up at the thermometer on top of the building across the street, it read minus 16 degrees! I kept pacing, shivering, and clapping my hands together until that bus finally got there at 7:15 a.m. When I got on the bus, my glasses steamed up and I couldn't see a thing all the way to the UC campus. I was  sooooooooo glad to get out of the cold onto that heated bus, I didn't care.

That was the first time I can remember when I actually looked forward to sitting in my warm eight o'clock class!

Maybe that's why I still shiver whenever I hear "Bus Stop" by The Hollies.