State of the Wallaby.

[joanna71985]

I totally understand Big Wallaby, take your time. We'll still be here when you are ready to come back. And sending prayers to all the monorail drivers at this time.

Hugs are always welcome.

*hugs* Hopefully I can see you when I come down in Aug, and give you one for real (if that is ok- if not, totally understand).

[Big Wallaby]

And so I return. Tonight was one a night with one of the final difficult tasks now past. I drove a Monorail on the Epcot beam. I saw where it happened, with the evidence left that I had not yet seen. I had my iPod playing the Epcot Illuminations music, followed by Jars of Clay with their song, "Fly". It has been a hard two weeks... first Austin, then we lost a pilot to a heart attack on his way to work, and then another friend had a heart attack and yesterday underwent a quadruple bypass. I will be visiting him tomorrow. Then, this morning on my way home from work I almost became the third fatality within our department in as many weeks when a bus cut me off coming from FIW to park at AK. Had I not responded the way I did the post at the beginning of this thread would have been my last. I can't tell you how thankful I am to be making this post.

Thank you all for your support. As I know you all to be so wonderful, I have been passing it along as I knew it was already coming. It has been a source of comfort to know that you were pulling for all of us, in the toughest month our department has ever faced... and in many ways that all of Disney World has ever faced.

Walt said it best, though: Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things...

There are still hard times to come, but we will continue moving forward, even when it is but one step at a time.

I want to give a special thank you to February. It's interesting... she said some words at the vigil for Austin, and no one seems to remember her exact words... but they were what everyone needed to hear. When people find out that she is a friend of mine and came when I told her it would not cause problems, they thank me. February, I wish I could have been there. I wish I could know what you said that was such comfort to so many. Your visit will be remembered in Monorails for a very, very long time. Thank you for coming, and thank you for your words... whatever they were. It was so wonderful to meet you. I look forward to when you and St. March come again, this time for fun. Those of us who are in Monorails now look forward to that time as well.

[darph nader]

WooHoo,he's back. :) I hope you reported the bus driver to the powers that be. (what an asshole) :mad:

[February]

Aw man. Wallaby you're making me cry.

But first of all DUDE do not scare me like that! No more of any such adventures in traffic- nice safe travels only, okay??? Thank you.

I'll be thinking of you as you visit your friend tomorrow and hoping for the best of all possible outcomes for his surgery.

Since you've now posted about it, I can publicly declare that meeting you was a real privilege and you know I only wish it had been under other circumstances. But even though we had to meet for the first time at such a time (and I say that cause we will meet again) I was truly humbled to be in your company and that of the others too. And we will get together in future in better days...you and somebody over there still owe me a parade viewing you know. I intend to collect.

In all seriousness-

you may say that my visit will live in the memory of those in Monorails for a long time- but let me tell you, the people that I met- and was hugged so warmly by too- will remain forever in mine.

As far as what I said- I honestly wish I could tell you. I just can't remember very much of it myself. It was as if someone was not only compelling me to step forward and speak but giving me the words to say without me even thinking about them- so I can't remember. I've never had an experience like it before in my life.

I do remember this though-- that I truly meant every word from the heart and so knowing that something I said was in any way helpful, really means more to me than I can tell you.

It was an honor just to be there and I know if you hadn't been driving your guests around in a monorail at the time you'd have been there too. While you were carrying on with such strength for your guests- I was very honored to hold a candle that night on your behalf- though I could never hold a candle to your true Disney spirit.

We're all behind you a hundred percent, and so proud of you all as together, you keep moving forward each small step at a time.

Walt is proud too, I know it.

and whatever you need on a given day- quiet time and space or hugs or whatever, you know you can count on us all here to do our best to give it.

Don't thank me- Wallaby- thank you.

~bru

(and thanks to the others too who will remain username-less unless and until they're willing to come forward and bravely admit that they allowed me to spend time in their presence...(and I say this both smiling and with tears in my eyes. Was truly an experience I will never forget, guys.) and gracious I hope this post makes sense it is so far past my bedtime...night all.

[BRWombat]

...

Walt is proud too, I know it.

...

Okay, now you've got me wiping back the tears. Very well said, Bru.