Asking kids what they want to be when they grow up often leads to unfettered daydreaming, which many adults find entertaining. However, for one preschool kid in Clinton, Mississippi, his dream job was not only pragmatic but also heartwarming, as he chose to be Mr. Bubba, the handyman and janitor at his church’s school. The kid’s cosplay has since gone viral for melting hearts, and it appears he’s now Mr. Bubba’s favorite. Here’s the clip:
This unfathomably cute interaction took place on September 19 in the First Baptist Church of Clinton, Mississippi, and was originally uploaded to Facebook. The Mississippi church also has its own preschool. Back on the 19th, the school held its own “Dress As What You Want To Be When You Grow Up Day,”. On that day, a 4-year-old showed up dressed just like Mr. Bubba, the school’s everyman, doing everything in First Baptist Church from handywork to janitor duties. Mr. Bubba was notably elated and even posed beside the 4-year-old.
Weekday Preschool Director Kim Evrard explained that “Mr. Bubba does everything for us. I mean, all we have to do is text Mr. Bubba and he’s on it. He doesn’t just take care of us. He takes care of our whole church,” transcript courtesy of Baptist Press. Indeed, Mr. Bubba Cagle has been a part of the First Baptist Church in Clinton for more than eight years.
Cagle initially started as a home repair and remodelling business owner before assuming his position as the church’s maintenance man. And while he claims it can get challenging to maintain a fairly busy church all by himself, gestures like what the 4-year-old Mr. Bubba cosplayer makes the job worth it:
“I enjoy it. Of course, it’s a challenge when you need to get things done… It’s just a surprise that anyone would even look up to me like that. I’m just an average Joe here. He’s a good kid. All the kids here are. I interact with them. I’m walking by all the time, and they’ll go to hollering, even out of their classrooms, ‘Mr. Bubba,” says Mr. Bubba
People online swear that school janitors are the best people
Surprisingly enough, the clip was better appreciated outside of the First Baptist Church’s Facebook page, and has expectedly garnered plenty of positive comments. Mr. Bubba’s reaction and the 4-year-old’s adoration for him also evoked plenty of school memories, particularly some warm ones involving kindness and respect from school janitors.
“This is honestly the sweetest thing ever, that kid clearly looks up to Mr Bubba a lot,” as pointed out by a Reddit user. “This is honestly the best validation he’ll ever have. There’s not a single review his boss could ever give that will compare,” claims another one. “Not the bald cap 😭 omg too cute,” says an admirer online.
“There is no one like the elementary school janitor. Those hardworking pros are experts on kids, mess, and emotional intelligence,” according to a Reddit testimony. Meanwhile, Mr. Bubba himself has led a good life and currently has four grandbabies. Given how the kids at First Baptist Church admire him, he’s well on his way to being a great grandfather as well.
