Friday, March 30, 2007

Gross-Out Part 2

My route is extremely long right now, so I like to get a spot facing forward where I can fall asleep if I want to without too much threat of falling over. The other evening I was forced to sit in a side-facing seat for much of the trip, and so was thrilled when a foreward-facing one opened up. I quickly moved over to it, opened my book, and began reading. When the bus got close to the end of the trip, I put the book away to sit quietly watching and thinking. It was then I noticed the woman in front of me. She had this huge mound of crinkly white hair that ran from the top of her head down to her shoulders and out in a semi-circle, making it impossible to see any part of her features. What I could see was that she was continually using her left hand to, um, clean(?) something on the left side of her head. (I'm eating breakfast while writing this, and am starting to be unable to finish my meal. Let that be a warning to those who read on.) She had a small tissue in her hand, and would either wipe her fingers on the tissue, or use her thumb to flick whatever might have been under her forefinger's nail. She would also use the tissue on her mouth and nose. At this point I was so completely grossed out that I couldn't look at her. However, if I turned my head away to left, I could see her quite clearly in the reflection. Moving didn't seem like a viable option either since there were precious few spots left, and besides we were almost there. I was feeling very nauseous from the whole situation, so I bowed my head down far enough so that not even my periphery would catch the slightest hint of her hand moving up and down, and I rode that way for the rest of the trip.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Gross-Out Part 1

I boarded the bus for what was the last leg of my morning journey, looking forward to sitting and contemplating my latest favorite concept. I took a seat on my left, so I can see out the front window. I guess everyone falls into little patterns like that. The bus began to roll forward, about to begin its gradual climb up the hill. The person (man? woman? I honestly didn't take the time to check) sitting in front of me reached up and scratched his/her head. When he/she did this for the second time, I happened to look up and take notice. It was at this point I discovered that this person sitting in front of me had some sort of scabbiness on his or her head. What was worse, every time he or she scratched it, bits of this awful thing would flake off and drift, agh, towards me! Parts of the wound were already open from previous scratching. Horrified, I leaned further and further away from this thing, barely able to hold back screams of terror and waves of nausea. Finally, I managed to pull myself together and move. This, of course, made me realize that an unexamined set of patterns is a set not worth following.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Why, you ask?

I will tell you why.

1. Money. At first, my bus riding was about money. I'd just spent nearly 8 years paying one car loan or another, and I was tired of it. I had other things I wanted to spend my money on. Now, not only do I not have a car payment to make, I don't have to be concerned about the rising cost of gasoline, I don't have to perform regular and costly maintenance fees, I don't have to pay yearly dues to the DMV club of America, and I don't have to pray to God that something doesn't break and force me to pay a mechanic $50 and hour. It's a shallow beginning, but a beginning nonetheless.

2. Fear. I'd just been in a major car accident and had the reality of the dangers involved in driving rather literally shoved down my throat. It made me realize that on a dry sunny morning, after a full night's sleep and no alcohol in more than 48 hours, at a moment when I was merely driving, not messing with the radio or taking a call, I could be involved in a major accident. It made me terrified to think what might happen when one of the millions of other drivers who actually participate in one of those activities were involved in a accident.

3. The Environment. Al Gore says this better than I ever could, although I was doing this before his movie came out. The simple fact is, our environment is disintegrating because we are self-centered individualists who favor convenience over common sense and a little adventure.

4. My Health. Riding the bus involves a great deal more walking in every one of my days than a car driver could ever hope to squish into an hour on the treadmill. My morning bus ride requires me to walk 45 minutes down a mountain to catch my first bus. I get to see bunny rabbits, enjoy the view, work my glutes, and generally commune with nature before most people even hit the snooze button for the first time. When I lived in the city, I got very familiar with the local businesses in my area, which helps support the local economy and small business.

5. My Sanity. Riding the bus forces me to slow down. I don't have a lot of control over how long it will take me to get somewhere, so I have to plan ahead and deal with the time I have. I can sit back and spend a week reading the New York Times Sunday edition. I can work on a short story or my novel. I can simply sit and think. I can watch a movie on my little portable DVD player. The time allows me to be more thoughtful in my reading and writing and overall thought development. I do miss listening to KPBS on the radio, but oh well. Also, for better or worse, I'm basically communing with the people of my world. I find that most people lock themselves into their routine in which they never allow themselves to step out of their comfort zone, and so they never really experience what it is like to live in the melting pot of America, where there are so many amazing cultures, and so very many different types of people to see, hear, and learn from. And you can't believe the languages you can listen to. Movies and books are great teachers, and there are some truely talented directors and even documentarians, but nothing beats experiencing it for yourself, in real time, with real people. You can see that there is no stereotype that will ever describe a real human being. Believe me, it's not always pleasant (as, if you continue to read my blog, you will surely come to appreciate,) but it is always fascinating.

I didn't expect my last reason to be so long, but I realized as I was writing it that above all the others, it is the one that means the most to me. There is no experience in my life so far more real and rewarding as the experiences that began when I left my car behind me.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

I'm Back!!

I'm back, and happy to say I'm doing very well. I've still be using public transportation, and boy do I have a lot of stories to tell! I was also surprised to see so many comments, and wanted to say thank you for stopping in. Here's a quickie:

I was surprised to notice that the woman sitting in front of me this morning was wearing a wig. I should have been alerted to this fact by the unnatural look to the hair. But no, it took finally noticing the tufts of white hair sticking out around her head to clue me in. I felt very endeared to this woman. I often find myself watching the older bus riders and wondering which one I will one day become, if I'm lucky enough. I wouldn't mind being her.