This is my OCD kicking...in the portion of the essay about Nathan (paragraph 10) you write, "Any food could have avoided it". I think you meant to say, "Any 'fool' ". Alright, enough nitpicking. I'm trying to remember the last long bus ride I took. I am pretty sure it was in 2017. It was with a group of young people from Voces de la Frontera. We rode from Racine, WI, to Washington DC for a pro-immigrant rally. I was one of the few older people on the bus. The young folks were all from YES (Youth Empowered in the Struggle). I was also one of the few native English speakers on the bus. There was a lot of Spanish flying through the air during the entire ride, most of which I didn't understand. The trip wasn't as eventful as yours, but all bus rides have a certain vibe to them. It's not that the people who ride buses are any weirder than other folks. It's just that people who can afford to not ride the bus can usually hide their suffering more easily. Money doesn't necessarily solve any problems, but it can disguise a person's fragility. Your stories of the bus rides remind me mostly of my time in the Army, when I was often thrown together with people completely unknown to me, and I had to somehow relate to them, and work with them.
What companionship on the journey is all about and while life is a potato-sack race, rarely understood. How then for an instant empathy dares trade places: the braid-haired girl, hopping down the aisle with an injured foot, not to be underestimated, her eyes locked with yours for a cinematic second.
Thanks, Sarah. I especially appreciated the fellow who "accompanied" you as you made your way from the bathroom. What a good idea to help out by shining a phone light as a fellow passenger walks down the bus's dark aisle.
I liked this one a lot. Interesting characters. You were in good form helping Nathan from possibly getting thrashed. Bus stations and buses are full of interesting people, often the poor and indigent. You show them all in a good light.
This is my OCD kicking...in the portion of the essay about Nathan (paragraph 10) you write, "Any food could have avoided it". I think you meant to say, "Any 'fool' ". Alright, enough nitpicking. I'm trying to remember the last long bus ride I took. I am pretty sure it was in 2017. It was with a group of young people from Voces de la Frontera. We rode from Racine, WI, to Washington DC for a pro-immigrant rally. I was one of the few older people on the bus. The young folks were all from YES (Youth Empowered in the Struggle). I was also one of the few native English speakers on the bus. There was a lot of Spanish flying through the air during the entire ride, most of which I didn't understand. The trip wasn't as eventful as yours, but all bus rides have a certain vibe to them. It's not that the people who ride buses are any weirder than other folks. It's just that people who can afford to not ride the bus can usually hide their suffering more easily. Money doesn't necessarily solve any problems, but it can disguise a person's fragility. Your stories of the bus rides remind me mostly of my time in the Army, when I was often thrown together with people completely unknown to me, and I had to somehow relate to them, and work with them.
Thanks, Frank. Missed that one!
What companionship on the journey is all about and while life is a potato-sack race, rarely understood. How then for an instant empathy dares trade places: the braid-haired girl, hopping down the aisle with an injured foot, not to be underestimated, her eyes locked with yours for a cinematic second.
a potato-sack race. I love it.
I love love this format of vignettes!! I can picture each character in detail. In color. Their faces and their clothes.
Kindness comes back to you. Terrific post.
Thanks, Sarah. I especially appreciated the fellow who "accompanied" you as you made your way from the bathroom. What a good idea to help out by shining a phone light as a fellow passenger walks down the bus's dark aisle.
Real nice commentary, Sarah,
I liked this one a lot. Interesting characters. You were in good form helping Nathan from possibly getting thrashed. Bus stations and buses are full of interesting people, often the poor and indigent. You show them all in a good light.
Good traveling.
dave
Thank you, Dave