bus 14

the other day i was writing another story in my journal about riding the bus and i thought about how fun it would be to share my bus stories here. i think my thursday entry would have been titled "pvd bus terrorized my love and coffee spills," or on tuesday it would have been a bit more somber to the tune of "lonely and lost with a furry cane." i want to tell these stories.

some background: the reason i began riding the city bus was because i had entered a season of life where i was able to fast from my car. i mean live without it completely. i just don't need it (9 times out of ten). there is a trolley stop in front of house and i have a bike that i love to ride everywhere. so - city errands, meetings, and other responsibilities are entirely reachable without a car. the only other weekly traveling i do is to the office 2-3 times a week. the office is about 20 min away, and there is a bus that gets me there in approx 35 min. no pressing need for a car.

now there are the obvious reasons i would fast from car use such as environmental and financial (i save almost $300 a mo). in addition there is the order and rhythm that it brings to my life. i remember my grandfather talking about his hour long train ride from the hudson valley to nyc every morning and evening. how he would read the paper, reflect on the day, organize his mind, ramp up and cool down - how the train brought peaceful, rewarding consistency to life.

now in no way does my tired city bus match the romance of the ny expressway, but i like to think of my bus 14 having new england tracks beneath it, and in the same way my grandfather experienced rhythm to his life through his daily travels - so have i. it was an unexpected benefit. but most unexpected of all was how my time on the bus would be used to grow my personal perspective on the poor and outcast, and provide prayers and vision for my personal relationships and ministry. i get to see a fascinating side to the city every day.

so, the stories that i document privately, i'll start to share publicly in hopes they'll bring a little perspective on those we live near but don't often see, and trigger ways we can learn, pray, and care for... each other, our neighbors, people i guess - ha.

koom wernda (20 ft tall)