SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A San Antonio couple who dedicated over two decades of their lives to VIA Metropolitan Transit together are now stamping their bus tickets with the word \u201cRetirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig and Diana Opella both said they never imagined how VIA would change their lives in so many ways when they walked through the door. <\/p>\n
\u201cI broke my #1 rule, which was, \u2018Don\u2019t date where you work!\u2019 But as you can see, anything is possible,\u201d Diana laughed.<\/p>\n
Craig and Diana actually met years before they started dating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a concierge at the Hilton, and he worked on the riverboat,\u201d Diana said. \u201cSo, we worked there but didn\u2019t see each other for a couple of years and then met here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Craig said he remembered Diana\u2019s shiny smile and shiny shoes. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were both operators at first before he went to supervisor,\u201d Diana said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I remember her was her shoes,\u201d Craig added. \u201cShe always wore these black, shiny, leather shoes and I thought, \u2018That is the girl from the Hilton.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Before long, their bus routes would end up at the same time points multiple times during their shifts. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe was always driving slow! I would think, \u2018Come on,\u2019\u201d Craig joked. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe would get behind my bus and pressure me like, \u2018Hurry up!\u2019 I started avoiding him because he would do that, but then we both just ended up getting together.\u201d<\/p>\n
They said it paid off to break their No. 1 rule of not dating in the workplace, but they made a strict decision to keep their love life and work life separate. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor a decade and a half, 90% of the people we worked with didn\u2019t know we were married,\u201d Craig said. \u201cWe kept things really simple and low-key, like our engagement. It was under the bridge at Fine Silver in the parking lot.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were in our uniforms, and it was, you know, all about work,\u201d Diana laughed. \u201cWhen we got married at the courthouse on the steps, nobody really knew until I had to change my name. They said, \u2018Oh my gosh! You married Craig Opella!?\u2019 We just kept work [at] work and home [at] home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The couple said they had a lot of fun experiences over the years. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had a lot of fun,\u201d Diana said. \u201cJust fun doing the job and different events and meeting new people. There was something different every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took a lot of discipline,\u201d Craig said. \u201cBoth at home and mainly at work. Because it is safety-conscious with what we do. We had a job to do. We had to balance home and work. It is all about timing and our lives have been working 30 seconds at a time for two and a half decades.\u201d <\/p>\n
Now, after over a million miles of driving, hitting their 25th VIA anniversary together and after over two decades of working for the company they love, their days are about to look very different as they are now closing this chapter of their careers and opening a new chapter of retirement. <\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time I leave, it would be 9,979 days,\u201d said Craig, who has worked 27 years and 11 months.<\/p>\n
The couple said they plan to enjoy life once they clock out for the last time. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn\u2019t hit me yet, but it is time,\u201d Diana said. \u201cI just feel it. Time to spend time with the family and the grandkids. Time to stay home and not be on a schedule and just enjoy life traveling. We are looking forward to this chapter.\u201d <\/p>\n
And despite closing their VIA chapter, they plan to stay connected with the place they fell in love with. <\/p>\n
\u201cI am going to miss my co-workers and passengers and the day-to-day about VIA,\u201d Diana said. \u201cIt is never the same day, bus stop to bus stop.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI still see kids I drove when I was an operator and now, they have grown up and had families,\u201d Craig said. \u201cThey say, \u2018Remember you got me to school in the rain when I didn\u2019t have any money?\u2019 And I would say, \u2018Yes. That is what we do.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
As far as their advice about workplace relationships, the couple said to go at your own speed but be responsible. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of women and great guys here at VIA,\u201d Diana laughed. \u201cYou are going to spend a lot of time here, so don\u2019t be surprised if you might meet the one.\u201d <\/p>\n
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