What's a skill that sounds useless but is actually powerful?
Ever heard people brag about being “emotionally resilient” or “cool under pressure”? They’re not just bragging about being the “Zen Master of the 9‑to‑5”. In reality, that calmness is a super‑power that can save your sanity, your job, and sometimes even your lunch money.
Below, a Reddit thread brings out the everyday heroics of staying chill when the world (or a bus) is on the brink of chaos. Spoiler: it’s not about being a saint—it’s about being the human version of “auto‑reset.”
The Original Post
A school‑bus driver, after a minor collision with a stray bus, shares his story of keeping a level head and turning a potential nightmare into a mild inconvenience—complete with a Christmas gift and a permanent spot on the crew roster.
“I drive school buses part‑time for a private outfit. At the end of the day when in line to fuel up, there was another school bus ahead of me that didn’t set their parking brake. The bus sloooowly rolled into mine, damaging one of my crossover mirrors, and one of their tail‑light housings. Very minor damage.”
“Driver gets out and he’s all worked up and upset that he did that and keeps pacing back and forth. He feared he was going to get fired, since the industry is very uptight about safety violations.”
“I simply asked if he was okay, any injuries, and if his bus is secure now. I went through the damages and kept reassuring him it’s not a big deal, the buses are still roadworthy, and there's a minor amount of fiberglass work needed.”
“We still needed to file a collision report with our outfit as it was on our private property, but I took charge on that and let the head mechanic know that these would need work before our pre‑trip the next day. Dispatch was already off for the night but I still called her personal phone and calmly told her what happened, since there's a chance the buses might need to be re‑assigned next morning if they can't pass pre‑trip.”
“The other driver was super appreciative the next day when the rest of the office was back on staff and they weren't mad at him at all. I got a nice little Christmas present from him this week, and he is still driving with us!”
The Comments
“Emotional regulation. Being the person who doesn’t blow up or lose their mind when things go wrong is a massive flex.”
“I can do this in 99 percent of situations in my life, one of my greatest strengths, with the exception of inanimate objects; I'm putting a piece of furniture together and the piece clearly goes in the hole, triple checked the instructions, and it STILL won't go in? I'm about to break it.”
“Accepting criticism without losing confidence or getting upset about it.”
“This was a major achievement for me. I used to be SO defensive about my work as I place a high premium on doing good work. Now I realize it's me and my team against the problem.”
Hilarious Take‑Downs
-
The “Zen Driver”
“Being the person who doesn’t blow up…is a massive flex.”
– Because nothing says “I’m a superhero” like not yelling at a bus for not setting its parking brake. -
The Furniture Fanatic
“I can do this in 99% of situations…but furniture is a different beast.”
– Apparently the universe thinks your IKEA skills are as fragile as your temper. -
The “No‑Drama” Critic
“Accepting criticism without losing confidence.”
– In the grand arena of “how to not get offended by your boss’s typo,” this is a gold medal. -
The “Team‑First” Revelation
“I used to be SO defensive…Now I realize it’s me and my team against the problem.”
– Because real heroes know the only way to win is to keep the squad together, even if the bus had a little slip‑up.
TL;DR
Staying cool when a bus rolls into you is the ultimate life hack. It keeps the driver from losing his job, the mechanics from losing a day, and the whole team from turning into a drama‑queen circus. Even if you can’t get that stubborn bookshelf to fit, remember: emotional regulation is the real superpower.
“Turns out, staying chill is the new black. Even if you can’t screw a table into place, you can still win the day.”