Once in while, I get a treat when I return from a business trip. At the PDX airport, there’s this fellow named Tom who drives the shuttle bus to the parking lot. And riding the Tom-bus is something special.

Tom is a little slow, but he makes sure to welcome every passenger and reminds them that it takes just a few muscles to smile. Like some lovable Forest Gump, he’ll even tell a joke to anyone who’ll listen.

And when you see your fellow passengers brighten up from their harried, mobile lives, it has this contagious affect on you. That ride to parking lot becomes the part of your journey that you remember most.

Tom may not not the smartest guy around, but he is one of the brightest stars that Portland has to offer.