"You keep on bein a good girl, you hear me?"

The Vandy Van. Also known as the greatest thing Vanderbilt ever thought of. It's basically just public transportation just for Vanderbilt students that runs between the hours of 5 pm and 5 am every night. For most people, it's so they don't die walking home drunk from the Frats. But for me? So I don't die walking home alone from late night practicing. Sober.

Anyway, last night I jumped on the Vandy Van at, oh 5:30ish, to go do some practicing before I met some friends. I ALMOST MISSED THE BLUE VAN so I had to run super fast. The nice driver, Ms. Stevens, waited for me, and I climbed on, plotted myself on the very first row, and said, huffing and puffing, "Th-- (breath. breath) Thank (cough, breath, cough) you (more coughing and breathing)!!!"

She proceeded to look at me through her little rear view mirror and said to me, in her thick, Southern, black woman accent (the best kind, btw),

"I've NEVER seen you before!! Do you have an ID??"
"Yes, ma'am!" (and then I showed her my lovely student ID)
"Well! I have never seen you before!! I have worked here 13 years and I have never seen you before!"
"Well, I mean, I am a freshman!"
"I know, but I know ALL of the freshman. (just so you know, there are 1600 of us....) I'm the famous vandy van driver, Ms. Stevens. You've probably heard of me before."
PAUSE. Please keep reading this in your best thick, Southern, black woman accent. It makes it way better.
CONTINUE.
"Oh, yes, ma'am! I've heard of you before! You're the one who pulls over to the side of the road to pick up drunk students lyin on the side of the road in the middle of the night!"
"Yeah, you better believe that's me!! I have never seen you before!!"
"Well, I don't drink, you see, and I ain't on the bus, drunk, in the middle of the night, after comin from the Frats."
"You don't drink?? Oh, you are a rare breed!! I am SO glad I met you!! You stay that way!! I am SO glad I met you!! You know, I raised triplets, and they were always studious in college, and they never drank none either. You know, they're all dentists in California now. That's why I have white teeth. And you know, they's the best kids. Oh, they're my pride and joy!! I love those kids with all my heart! And, you know, they's rollin in the DOUGH over their in California, them bein dentists and all. Oh, they's just the best kids!!
"Well, you know, Ms. Stevens, you raised 'em!! You musta raised 'em pretty good if they turned out so good!"
"Me and my husband, we put our ALL into those kids! They told us when they were 8 years old they wanted to be dentists and we put our ALL in helpin them be just that. We taught them how to clean up, and everything! We raised them from the ground up, those kids. And you know, I tell them, that when they do their dentistry over there in California, they needa give their services to people who can't afford none, cause you know, we gotta give back in our world. We need help those that can't help themselves none! It's our responsibility!!"
"Well, Ms. Stevens, I think you're doin just that when you help poor drunk kids on the side of the road! You're helpin them out when they can't help themselves!!"
"You know, when I see them out there, I think 'That is someone's child out there!!' And then I go and help them, cause, you know, I love my kids with all my heart! And, you know, I go through 8 pairs of tennis shoes a year because of those kids pukin' up all over 'em when I try to help them get in the van! But, it's worth it, cause I's gettin those kids home safe."
"Ms. Stevens, that is so good of you! You're helpin those kids so much!"
*then we got to my stop*
"What's your name again? I have never seen you before!! I am so glad I met you! You made my night! I hope I see you again! You keep on bein a good girl, you hear me? And you don't drink none and you be safe, you hear me?"
"I'm Emily! And yes, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am! You have a good night!"

I seriously couldn't stop smiling. Guys, there are good people everywhere. People that will sacrifice 8 pairs of tennis shoes a year. People that'll drag drunk 19 year-olds into their van so they get home safe. There are good people everywhere. And you know what else? You don't gotta do much to share what you believe in. All you gotta do is live it. And people will notice. She noticed my decision not to drink, simply because I don't drink. I noticed her amazing spirit, simply because of how she spends her weekends: drivin the Vandy Vans.

Don't underestimate the power of example. People are watching.
And always, always, always, believe in good people everywhere.