Dude, i appreciate it, and they're all right

2nd Draft (Think I'm Getting Close):

“My life is going to change today.” When waking up in the morning, this type of thought does not generally wander into someone’s mind very often. I can say for myself that I have never woken up with this type of thought in my mind. Nevertheless, our lives do often change dramatically over the span of just one day. Life-changing experiences always have a way of finding us, and they often seem to find us in the most unusual places and at the most unexpected times. Most people assume, however, that they will only experience these life-changing events in the “expected” places such as churches, mosques, and synagogues.
Of all the places to experience a life-changing event, a sweltering, crowded bus in downtown San Francisco would have to be one of the least expected. It was a bright, sunny day in the middle of July and the heat was absolutely unbearable. As I walked onto the bus, I looked for the nearest open seat and sat down immediately. Directly across the aisle from me, a middle-aged man sat down next to a small, old woman. The man seemed to be exhausted: his shoulders were slouched, his eyes were half closed, and he walked extremely slowly for a man his age. Strangely enough, however, a vibrant, optimistic smile seemed permanently imprinted on the man’s face, which contrasted quite sharply with the irritated, grumpy expressions on most of the other riders’ faces.
While the elderly woman was moving her cane and purse to make room for the man, a quarter fell out of her pocket and onto the floor. The coin rolled around for a few seconds and then stopped directly beneath the woman’s seat. After the woman realized that she would not be able to reach the quarter, she shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Oh well.” The man who had sat down next to her, however, took much more interest in the quarter. When he heard the small clink from the coin hitting the floor, the man immediately jerked his head toward the sound. He watched intently—leaning forward to get a better view—as the quarter circled back underneath the woman’s seat. When the quarter finally stopped rolling, the man leaned even farther forward in his seat and slowly stretched his right arm under the seat in the direction of the quarter. Even after completely extending his arm, however, the man was still unable to reach the quarter.
The woman, after watching the man’s attempt to grab the coin, offered him her cane so that he could hopefully reach the quarter. Sure enough, the man leaned forward once again and got the quarter immediately. With all of the effort that the man had put into getting the quarter, I assumed that he was planning to pocket the coin right away. After grabbing the quarter, however, the man promptly held it out to the woman while saying, “I believe this is yours, ma’am.” The woman nodded, and then said in reply, “Yes, it’s mine. But it would have been lost if it wasn’t for you. Go ahead. Keep it.” The man, looking slightly shocked, put the quarter into his pocket and then said to the woman, “Thank you. God bless your heart.”
After a few more minutes of quiet conversation with the woman, the man got up to exit the bus. Just before getting off, however, the man turned around and said with an even bigger and brighter smile, “I told myself this morning, ‘My life is going to change today.’” As the man left, I could do nothing but sit there, speechless and motionless. One quarter had made all the difference in the world for that man. But then again, it wasn’t even the quarter that had made the difference; it was his attitude. I began to understand that attitude is more important than I had ever realized. All throughout high school, students learn that the keys to success—both in school and in life—are a good work ethic, effective time management, and honesty. While I believe that all of these traits are an essential part of achieving success, I also believe that attitude is just important. By maintaining a positive attitude, I am able to enjoy many classes that I would not otherwise find as interesting. Also, my positive attitude allows me to learn from my mistakes while not dwelling on them. Therefore, I feel that my positive attitude is now my greatest asset. Just like the man on the bus, a positive attitude allows me to endure my struggles, while also enjoying my achievements.