The Man

He looked straight out of prison.  Broad shoulders, very muscular and built, and angry.  He had a glare that said quick temper, I am not the one.  And his words alarmed me.  He was right next to me and I couldn't help but stop working on my paper to acknowledge this lost soul, silently that is.

He uttered, " This bus driver does this everyday driving this bus all slow making me late for work."  The cause for this explosion : The bus driver sat at the bus stop maybe 60 seconds longer than he would have liked.

My concern is that this man spoke of the bus driver as his personal servant or driver, as if no one else were on the bus.

This man looked truly void of ambition or any ability to own his own car.  This bus and being driven around is all he knows.  As a people there is another side of our community where ownership, and preference do not exist.  We have to take what we can get and do our best with it and in this case the bus was just that for this Man.

When did we as a people get so content to the point that in our minds the bus becomes not a tool that we use to get from place to place but our own personal coach.  I looked around me and slowly and sadly I realized he was not the only one.

I wanted to cry.  I was blessed and with no reason.  I've had opportunities that many have never had, but yet I am no better, I just wish that this Man could have experienced something better for his life.  Something to make him smile on his ride, something that lets him know there is more out here, something that says hold on it gets better just keep working hard to grow from the past, something that says Mister I feel your pain but you deserve everything they've got go for it.  But would he even believe it.

What is really going on in society?  The bus is full of these men or this man.  Grown men who do not have the access nor the opportunities to own their own vehicle.  Many who have never even traveled their local surroundings on their own time and at their own pace.

Next stop Loch Raven & Glen Keith Blvd.... My community My heart.