took the bus. My family, fiends, acquaintances and total strangers have questioned my sanity….not only because it takes a long time to go by bus, but folks have a perception of who rides the bus….like I could to be in danger from the unsavory characters they envision ride cross county buses. And it didn’t help matters when my friend dropped me off at the bus station…and a patrol car pulled up with a newly released prisoner to get on the bus….it is not an uncommon occurrence.
I have encountered the full gamut of folks while riding the bus…Middle class folks riding a bus to catch a plane, so they do not have to leave car in a parking garage for great lengths of time……Jet planes do not service great portions of America.
And tourists ….This trip I chatted with French and German tourists.
And there are folks who for various reasons do not drive…the prevailing reason among the younger set is no drivers license….DUIs most common reason. Some people with the more age.. just do not feel comfortable driving outside of their communities.
And there are those people who are just plain cheap…I count myself amongst those people….the 1000 plus mile bus ride was $199 round trip! Driving I calculate with gas and motel stays to be well over $500.
This trip, my favorite travelers were a sweet young couple, who with their two very young children were traveling to a job…They had sold much of what they owned to buy the bus tickets and meals for the trip…What was left of their material belongings was packed in large suitcases…. Sort of a modern day “Grapes of Wrath” They were not bitter and whining, they were so happy to be going to a job. Their children were clean, well behaved, and happy…what this family lacked in material belongings…they make up in spirit…a kind, humble and gentle spirit.
I must tell you , if being close to the massively pierced and tattooed make you uncomfortable…Bus riding probably should not be your first choice for travel. ….or if you are in a hurry it is not a good choice….One of the drivers got lost. But for seeing the countryside and people watching it can’t be beat.
Next time you go to wal-mart look around, that is the type of folks you see on the bus. All sizes, shapes colors. You do not see many men in three piece, pin stripped, suits nor do you see many men passed out drunk. …not on the at wal mart or the bus…but you see both near bus stops. Bus stops, in cities, are often downtown. Downtown amongst the tall buildings…one man works and the other man lives and sleeps.
My mother had a high degree of tolerance for the eclectic, and the down trodden, back in the day, our house was marked by the homeless men riding the train, they passed house after house and came straight to ours….mother never turned away the hungry. “They are God’s children” I was never taught to be afraid of people who were different then me… so I am not…I might should be… but I am not.
And there was my John, he would stop the car and get out and give a few dollars to homeless men on the streets of downtown Jackson. I would say, “ you know he is just going to go buy liquor with that money.”
John’s answer…”what ever it takes to him get through the day”
If John and mother can look down…I don’t want them to catch me looking down.
Love to all
Call if you need me
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