If you are lucky, once in a great while, you talk to someone who very quickly makes you feel like you've known them forever. Life-long area resident Queenie King is one of those people.
Queenie retired at the end of the school year after driving a school bus for Prince George's County since 1972. Chances are, if you have availed yourself of the bus service, at some point, you and Queenie crossed paths. If you did, you remember her.
After what was seemingly a rather brief phone conversation, I couldn't help but feel like I'd made a new friend. She is what some folks call a natural story teller, and speaks with such fervor and passion that it's hard not to be drawn into every word.
As county schools ended June 17, the students who were in her charge said goodbye to a friend, advocate and confidante.
When asked why she drove a bus for so long, Queenie's reply was simple: "I like to drive, and I enjoyed communicating with the children. That's why I stuck with it."
While driving students from place to place, she has many times taken a student aside and counseled them like they were her child. In a nutshell, her advice to the children was always "Do unto others."
Queenie has lived most of her life in the Oakcrest area of Laurel. She and her husband of 50 years, William King, raised two children along the way: daughter, Doretta Braxton; and son, William Jr. She boasts that she has five grandchildren and will quickly tell you that she is the great grandmother of three.
Don't expect this royally named lady to sit around during her retirement. Queenie has plans for the future. Her most immediate plans include a cruise with her husband to Puerto Rico this summer. The couple also plans to fly out to southern California to visit with cousins and tour the area by car.
Besides her family, her greatest pleasure in life is music. Queenie has been studying the piano for seven years and hopes to one day be accomplished enough to play at her church. She and her husband attend the Abundant Life Community Church, in Greenbelt.
Rarely, do you find someone who does the same thing most of their adult life. A sense of purpose and a real dedication to duty is required. This lady has both of those.
She may not wear a crown or regal clothing, but to those who know and love her, she reigns supreme in their hearts. Enjoy your retirement, Queenie; you've earned it.