In my sober network, there’s a phrase that often comes up: “I just want to be a Bozo on the bus.” It may sound humorous, but its meaning runs deep—especially for those of us who have begun to accumulate some long-term sobriety.
Simply put, it’s a surrender of self-importance. It’s letting go of the need to be seen as special, to maintain a persona, or to project an image of significance to the world. It’s an invitation to live simply, humbly, and gratefully—where peace becomes the greatest gift.
When we speak of “self” in recovery, the word ego often follows—and not in a flattering way. Ego represents the false self: the one obsessed with image, status, and recognition. It’s the part of us that strives to be noticed, to accumulate, to matter in the eyes of the world. In our old lives, before recovery, these things felt like everything. But now we see them for what they are—distractions from our true identity.
I love how Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6:28–29:
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”
This is Jesus telling us: Come as you are. God isn’t impressed by appearances—He loves us as we are.
And again in Matthew 22:21, when the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a question about taxes, He replies:
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
It’s a powerful reminder that we belong to God—not the world—and our value is defined by Him alone.
God doesn’t need us to be impressive. He wants us to understand that we are already precious in His sight. His heart is moved not by status, but by surrender, humility, and faith.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn shares a moving story in The Gulag Archipelago about an elderly woman in a Soviet concentration camp who radiated such joy that the guards thought she was mad and left her alone. But her joy came from God. She needed no earthly affirmation to feel peace—because she knew who she belonged to.
So back to “Bozo on the bus.” I continue to remind myself to stay grateful, to reflect on what God has already given me. Jesus gave us salvation and eternal life—not through striving, but through belief.
My friends, we don’t need to impress the world. The truth is, the world is rarely impressed by anything for long. It takes courage to simply be enough. To live quietly, to be content, to not call attention to our importance—that’s true reverence to God. We are already enough, just as He made us.
