Off duty school bus driver runs into burning house on his route
When you work with kids, they often feel like your own. You're entrusted to care for them and protect them just as you would your own children. This protection factor doesn't end once the kids leave your classroom or step off of your bus. If you see one of your kids from work in trouble, it doesn't matter that you're outside of business hours, most will do whatever is needed to jump in and protect them.
While most people who work with children hope they never encounter a time where they need to jump into action, they remain prepared. Ohio school bus driver, Todd Morris had this theory tested when he was driving his personal vehicle off duty and realized one of the houses on his school bus route was on fire. Immediately, Morris knew students he drove to and from school daily lived in the house that was being engulfed in flames.
But turns out Morris isn't only a school bus driver, he's also former law enforcement and an Army veteran. The man didn't hesitate to come to a screeching halt and jump out of his truck to try to save the family inside.
man near flaming house
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
Morris explains to Today what went through his mind when he saw the flames, “My heart just dropped. All I could think was, 'My kids. My kids are inside.’”
The schools in the area were closed due to extreme winter temperatures, so the former military member knew there was a big possibility that his students were inside. Don't worry, Morris called 911 before he ran towards a burning home. There was no answer at the locked door so Morris kicked the door in with the only thing on his mind being to make sure the kids were safe.
"I literally do call the kids on my bus, they're my kids. I watch out for them at least two hours a day. And I know every kid on my bus, every kid has a nickname," he tells News 5 Cleveland.
After kicking in the door, Morris looked around the house that was filled with thick smoke trying to make sure the kids were safe. Thankfully, the four children and their parents, Matt and Jordan Fisher were not home. Since school was canceled, the Fisher children spent the night with their grandmother so Matt and Jordan could go to work. But the home wasn't empty, while searching through the home, Morris came across the two family dogs, Lady and Cash.
Morris tells Today, "There was so much smoke I could barely see in front of me. It took me a second to orient myself and figure out which way I needed to go. The second floor was completely engulfed."
The Army veteran explains to the outlet that it was when he came back downstairs that he came in contact with the dogs, “They were staring at me like deer in headlights. They looked so scared."
One of the dogs, Cash is disabled so Morris had to carry him to his car. Both dogs got out safely and while the fire was put out in under two hours, the family lost everything. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family recover from this devastating loss.
The Fisher family is thankful for the man's quick action and selflessness which helped save their beloved pets. They plan to rebuild on the same property with the funds that are raised. As for Morris, he doesn't think he did anything special, I was in the right place at the right time. I did what anyone else would do, with my background in law enforcement and the military," he tells News 5 Cleveland.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."