How well do you know your bus driver? Our class interviewed our bus driver, Mr. Boody, to learn more about him.
Mr. Boody, a resident of New Sweden, visited this town for many years as a child until he decided to move here in 1984. His grandfather and his grandfather’s sister were born in Sweden. Later, the sister, Mr. Boody’s great aunt, moved to New Sweden, Maine to a 90-acre farm on the Madawaska Road.
He was born and raised in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He has a sister that is 13 years older than him. And his three brothers are also older than him.
While growing up, Mr. Boody always liked playing baseball. However, he didn’t like Little League because he thought “the coaches were too hard on the kids.” He also enjoyed riding his bicycle. He rode to his girlfriend’s house and to the pond to go fishing.
Mr. Boody started music lessons in grade three. He started with Mr. Mayo who taught him how to read music but then told him “You need a violin teacher.” He saw his mother playing the violin and that’s why he loves the violin. He took lessons in Boston every week, which meant he had to travel by himself on the bus or train.
His first job was one that might creep many people out because they are scared of insects. He would pick Japanese beetles out of his father’s garden for one cent every ten beetles. So if he got 50 beetles that day, he could go and get a candy bar! When he was ten, he delivered newspapers six days a week. While in high school, he was a maintenance worker at McDonald’s. He had to clean the rest rooms but at least he got free meals.
Mr. Boody also talked briefly about his college education. He studied at Marlboro College, located in Marlboro, Vermont. At the time the college had only 230 attending students. Mr. Boody studied in viola, which is larger and lower-pitched than a violin. He majored in Humanities, which is a mixture of music and English literature. He read classic English novels, such as those written by Thackeray and Virginia Woolf.
One of his jobs is to make parts for pipe organs. A pipe organ is almost like a really big piano but it plays the sound through giant pipes. It will normally be in church and will take up a lot of room. He started making them about 39 years ago. He is a sub contractor for a big company down in Massachusetts. He jokes saying “I can’t find a new job so I just keep the same one.” The company tells him what to make; once he has a carload he delivers them and buys materials to make more pipes.
Mr. Boody still plays violin; he plays for St. Lucia and Midsommar. Over the years he has acquired numerous Swedish tunes and put them in a book with a table of contents. He also teaches violin to local students. He plays in a group called, “The Swedish Meatballs” along with some of his students and other community members.
Twenty-six years ago, his son’s school needed a bus driver. He applied for the job and has been driving ever since. He enjoys this job, especially working with the students. They laugh at his jokes. On the bus, he plays the Canadian station, which has music in French. He remembers how he felt when he was young and teachers yelled at him. He keeps this in mind and tries to be fair with everyone. He rarely raises his voice for this reason.
Mr. Boody ended the interview by saying a quote that he lives by, “Give more than you take.” He explained he does this by helping the local food pantry, organizing the church choir, and serving as a town selectman and a member of the planning board. He is also the treasurer for the town cemetery association. He gets “pleasure out of serving others.”
Written by New Sweden School grades 7 and 8 Language Arts students: Tanya Butterfield, Walker Clark, Kolby Fisher, John O’Meara, Ariel Plucker, Grady McKeough and Brianna Moutinho.
