“It was a Tuesday. I was driving the M20 that day. And it was...

“It was a Tuesday. I was driving the M20 that day. And it was during the worst of it, so the streets were completely empty. It felt like a ghost town. I picked up one homeless person. Then another. There was a sheet of plastic around the driver’s seat, so it felt like I was transporting prisoners or something. Then I drove past a hospital and saw an old man waving his cane at me. He was screaming at me to stop. He wasn’t even near a bus stop, but it felt like a war. Like we couldn’t leave anybody behind. So I pulled over and picked him up. I drove him up to 52nd Street and dropped him off at the Dunkin Donuts. I watched for a moment as he limped away. And that’s when I broke. I fell hard, I really did. I wasn’t just crying for him. I was crying for all of it. During that time it was so hard to not get depressed. I’m a people person. That’s where I get my energy. But there weren’t any people anymore. There was nobody to make smile. Or give a fist bump to. There were times when I’d be all alone on the bus, sitting at a red light. And I’d start to think the craziest things. But I’d pull myself together. I’d say: ‘Luis, you’re better than this. You’re a happy person.’ Sometimes I’d start making faces at myself in the mirror, just for me. I’d hit the button on the PA and sing ‘I’ll Make Love To You.’ Just a little something to make me laugh. So I could have a smile for the next person who got on the bus. That makes a big difference. If you can smile at someone, it can really change their mood. At home I have a pile of twenty certificates, they’re commendations I’ve received over the years for doing a good job. But I’ll tell you my favorite one. I got it four years back, and it came with a copy of a letter that a woman had written to the MTA. She wrote: ‘One morning I was feeling depressed. I was holding back tears. But I got on the M12, and the driver smiled at me. He said ‘Good morning.’ And it was just a small thing, but it’s exactly what I needed. It completely changed my mood.’”  #comebackNYC