Tonight I came home from work tired and hot. I cannot remember a September with heat and humidity like this. I am not complaining, just setting up the story.
It had been a long, short week. I did not feel like putting on the air conditioning in my house or making myself supper. So I decided to go out. I was going to take my MacBook and find somewhere with wifi and air conditioning to sit and do some work for a small side job I have.
I packed up my things and headed to the bus stop. I knew where I wanted to go and also knew it was close enough to bus there. Being downtown I figured it would be easier to bus than drive as well. So off I went.
As I got closer to my bus stop I noticed four people waiting there, seemingly intoxicated. Honestly, it is no big deal to me. I have met enough people in a similar state to know there is rarely anything to be afraid of.
I got to the bus stop and sure enough one gentleman asked me for money. I did not have any. In fact, I rarely have any. I hardly ever use cash for anything. Of course, I didn't have bus tickets either. I was rather disappointed in myself for that oversight. I have a bus pass. No cash. No bus tickets.
I told the gentleman I did not have cash. He was not angry. In fact he was quite the opposite. He asked what time the bus was coming. I told him 15 minutes. For the next 15 minutes I had a most delightful and yet heartbreaking conversation with this man. He was 65. He has a 7 year old grandson. He is a travelling man. I asked if he was like Johnny Cash. He laughed. We chatted. We laughed. We made eye contact. I listened. I asked questions. I spoke.
At one point the woman in the group came up and asked me for money. I said I didn't have any. She put her hands on my shoulders and asked if I would help her get on the bus. She did not have money. Sometimes bus drivers let passengers on without paying. Sometimes they do not. I was really wishing I had extra bus tickets at that point.
The bus came and I asked the driver...or I started to. He seemed exasperated. Not angry. Just tired. He let them on. I stood near the back door and the woman sat in the seat in front of me. I talked to her and helped her to her stop. No problem really.
As I got on the bus, chatted with a loud, clearly intoxicated woman, I noticed people around looking at her. Some smirked. Some laughed. Some looked shocked. I stood there more convinced I need to treat her with respect and dignity. She told me how she used to dress so beautifully. Then she said 'look at me now!' with her yellow T-shirt and black pants. I said she looked like sunshine. She laughed.
I have never been in a state like this. I have never had pain so debilitating that it drives me to substance abuse. But for the grace of God go I...or something like that. I do not know why I have received the blessings I have. I just know they are there. I also know they are not there because I am any better than anyone else. Maybe they are there so I use them to bless others.
I also know they are not there so I can look down on other or judge them. I have been judged in my life. Sometimes harshly. Sometimes unfairly. I have been treated horribly at times. Mostly unjustly. And I know I would never wish that on anyone.
Again, I am not better than anyone. I am simply one person trying to live a life of humanity, grace, compassion and impact. That is why I do so many of the things I do. I hope it encourages you to see how your life might be used to bless those around you. It won't look the same as my life. That is a good thing. You are not me. I am not you. Together though, we can truly make change in the world around us. Let's make sure that change is for the better.
My only regret this evening was not asking my friends their names. Surely they deserve to be known by name.
It had been a long, short week. I did not feel like putting on the air conditioning in my house or making myself supper. So I decided to go out. I was going to take my MacBook and find somewhere with wifi and air conditioning to sit and do some work for a small side job I have.
I packed up my things and headed to the bus stop. I knew where I wanted to go and also knew it was close enough to bus there. Being downtown I figured it would be easier to bus than drive as well. So off I went.
As I got closer to my bus stop I noticed four people waiting there, seemingly intoxicated. Honestly, it is no big deal to me. I have met enough people in a similar state to know there is rarely anything to be afraid of.
I got to the bus stop and sure enough one gentleman asked me for money. I did not have any. In fact, I rarely have any. I hardly ever use cash for anything. Of course, I didn't have bus tickets either. I was rather disappointed in myself for that oversight. I have a bus pass. No cash. No bus tickets.
I told the gentleman I did not have cash. He was not angry. In fact he was quite the opposite. He asked what time the bus was coming. I told him 15 minutes. For the next 15 minutes I had a most delightful and yet heartbreaking conversation with this man. He was 65. He has a 7 year old grandson. He is a travelling man. I asked if he was like Johnny Cash. He laughed. We chatted. We laughed. We made eye contact. I listened. I asked questions. I spoke.
At one point the woman in the group came up and asked me for money. I said I didn't have any. She put her hands on my shoulders and asked if I would help her get on the bus. She did not have money. Sometimes bus drivers let passengers on without paying. Sometimes they do not. I was really wishing I had extra bus tickets at that point.
The bus came and I asked the driver...or I started to. He seemed exasperated. Not angry. Just tired. He let them on. I stood near the back door and the woman sat in the seat in front of me. I talked to her and helped her to her stop. No problem really.
As I got on the bus, chatted with a loud, clearly intoxicated woman, I noticed people around looking at her. Some smirked. Some laughed. Some looked shocked. I stood there more convinced I need to treat her with respect and dignity. She told me how she used to dress so beautifully. Then she said 'look at me now!' with her yellow T-shirt and black pants. I said she looked like sunshine. She laughed.
I have never been in a state like this. I have never had pain so debilitating that it drives me to substance abuse. But for the grace of God go I...or something like that. I do not know why I have received the blessings I have. I just know they are there. I also know they are not there because I am any better than anyone else. Maybe they are there so I use them to bless others.
I also know they are not there so I can look down on other or judge them. I have been judged in my life. Sometimes harshly. Sometimes unfairly. I have been treated horribly at times. Mostly unjustly. And I know I would never wish that on anyone.
Again, I am not better than anyone. I am simply one person trying to live a life of humanity, grace, compassion and impact. That is why I do so many of the things I do. I hope it encourages you to see how your life might be used to bless those around you. It won't look the same as my life. That is a good thing. You are not me. I am not you. Together though, we can truly make change in the world around us. Let's make sure that change is for the better.
My only regret this evening was not asking my friends their names. Surely they deserve to be known by name.
Thank you for a good descriptive picture. People as people.
ReplyDelete