The Wheels on the Bus

No deep thoughts today; even though my mind has been flooded with thoughts over the last week.  Life has been such a mess during this transition that I haven't had time to just sit, think, and write.  As a guy who loves to take pictures and has a lot in front of me to photograph, I haven't even picked up my camera in a few weeks.  I turned it on just a couple of days ago to see what the last thing I shot was; I laughed and cried when I saw the picture of us pulling out of our driveway in the U-Haul truck.  So began our adventure.

Since arriving here, I've decided to become a public transporatation guy.  Never before had I ridden a bus
or a train; it just never fit into my schedule and location.  I hadn't a clue how to ride a bus and was afraid I'd be the freightened little boy huddled in the corner looking like such a country boy in the big city.

I spent hours online learning how to ride a bus and walked to the Metro Transit store to get maps and instructions.  Then I figured I just had to dive in and try it out.  I made it home alive, but not without a few hiccups.  I got onto my bus a bit too early (it wasn't in service yet), and the driver was a little annoyed that I interrupted his reading time to let me on the bus.  When we finally got moving, I caught a glimpse of a friend I hadn't seen in a long time waiting at one of the stops.  I really wanted to hop off the bus to say hi and catch up for a bit, but I was so nervous the driver wouldn't let me back on and I didn't have enough money to pay for another ride; so I stared at my friend through the window as the bus sat there and slowly pulled away.

But now I'm becoming a public transportation veteran.  I've ridden the light rail, the commuter train, and the bus (I'm still scared of taxis).  I got myself a transit card so I don't need to worry about having the right amount of cash on hand.  The entire trip from near my home to work is about 40 minutes long, so I get a lot of reading assignments done in my 80 minutes of bus riding.  I'm learning different parts of the city by taking a different route through town.

Best of all, I'm getting to know a lot of new people.  The bus travels through every part of town: middle and lower class residential neighborhoods, commercial and industrial districts, university campuses, near medical facilities, and right into the downtown professional areas.  I see every kind of person on the bus and have had great opportunities to hear stories of people who are nothing like me.  It is already softening my heart even more toward people.  Not only do I have a lot of time to read, but to think about and pray for the people God puts into my life for the 40 minutes every morning and afternoon.

Pray that God uses me to bless the souls of my fellow bus riders with the Good News of His Sovereign love.