One of the best aspects of childhood was it being so natural to ask what, why, and how anything and everything existed. And for us millennials, The Magic School Bus was one of the best gateways to knowledge. Who wouldn’t have fun with Ms. Frizzle spearheading madcap adventures through science and nature? But then we grew up, and PBS was defunded. And once the magic was gone, learning felt like a chore (when our jobs weren’t taking up all of our mental energy).
Today though, the spirit of adventure and exploration has reawakened in me, and I feel that I’m on the precipice of an unforgettable learning experience just like those kids at Walkerville Elementary, because this guy just rolled up to me and said if I get in his van, we can explore the galaxy.
Everything I learned about stranger danger is telling me I’m going to be reported as a missing person, but in the spirit of discovery, I’m going to roll those dice and get my science on. Though if Dr. Bob (no last name) is right, in about ten minutes, we’re going to blast through the stratosphere for a quick but informative trip through our solar system and beyond. I can only assume the van’s windows are blacked out to protect us from harmful cosmic radiation.
I’m not dumb. If this guy told me we were going to explore the insides of some guy’s body, obviously, I’m going to be in a snuff film, and it would be a hard pass. But did the Frizz ever use her anthropomorphic school bus for evil? Of course not. I mean all the rust on the van kinda makes it look like a bus when you squint. That’s why I have to trust this man, and that the special candy he gave me will help ease my motion sickness upon blastoff.
Surely Ms. Frizzle turned a few heads at school every time she nearly got her class killed, and I’d bet the good doctor here is on a few police watch lists. But that doesn’t change the fact that they just wanted to help people grow and understand the universe. Based on the number of people passed out on the van floor, they must’ve gone beyond the asteroid belt and back in a day.
So have fun being stuck on Earth in a boring old planetarium, I’m about to experience the real deal. Seatbelts, everyone!