Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP

    I have been here in Honolulu for the past few days attending the Maui Writers Conference retreat, a seven-day event that will be followed by a conference over the Labor Day weekend.  The schedule is full, with lectures and workshops designed to hone the skills of writers of all levels, from beginners to the successfully published.

    At the noon break today I caught a transit bus to a local shopping center seeking computer and printing supplies unavailable in Waikiki where I am staying and where the retreat is being held.

    The bus driver, a fit and petite woman, was one of the jolliest people I have ever encountered in such an occupation.  She happily greeted every passenger with a smile, and often a humorous comment sure to elicit a chuckle from the traveler.  Her positive attitude and ability to find humor in even the simplest of everyday things, while deftly maneuvering the large vehicle around obstacles, was striking in that it was an uncommon characteristic in a common job.

    Some of us might think that being a bus driver, going up and down the same old streets day after day, would be boring and tedious but this woman brought joy to it and in so doing touched every passenger in a positive manner.

Surely, I thought, we can all find one small thing each day to bring a smile to the face of at least one of our fellow travelers in life.

Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP  www.StayOutOfMyER.com