Christmas Day on the bus

It was a very sunny, bright cheery Christmas Day. My schedule happened to be open that day, so I decided to ride the buses around to see what goes on with those who ride the bus on Christmas Day. My presupposed thought was there would be a lot of lonely, distraught people on the bus this day. After taking several of the runs it seemed to be otherwise. The ride on the bus got them to where there wanted to go. It was a welcoming experience for many.

The bus drivers were of good cheer. Twice I saw a driver do a little extra favor for their rider. One young lady had her hands full with her child. So the driver stopped, before the stop, to let her and the child off closer to where they lived. On another bus a couple started to get off too early. The driver told them to wait and got closer to their desired destination, which was between stops. According to the rules we are not to do this, the driver said. "But... it's Christmas, have a Merry Christmas," the driver told them as they stepped off. The spirit of Christmas was in the drivers' hearts... doing the small, exceptional thing to make life one step easier for those on their bus.

On the first bus I rode, someone boarded I knew. She was on her way to her sister's for Christmas that afternoon. Already had Christmas that morning with her kids. Another stepped off at the Islamic Center, most likely finding some of his faith on this day.  At the transfer station it was the normal scurrying from one bus to another. I boarded another bus as well.

The driver stopped to pick up a man waving at him close to the stop. Misjudging the Holiday times, the rider said he almost missed the bus. I heard him tell the driver he decided to take a bus ride. I asked him if he had plans for Christmas. He said he lived alone here, His family was in a small town out of the area. So he thought he would ride around some. He talked about the Christmas dinner he just had at the local Presbyterian Church. They have been doing it every year for 32 years, he inserted. Then as we looped around and came back, two ladies boarded who just came from the same church..."boy, that was good" they said as they got on. I didn't know there was a place for a special Christmas dinner for those not having a place to go.

A sad scene came up as I was leaving the transfer station on another bus. I saw sitting alone up the street to my left a lady with two rolled-up bed rolls, one on either side of her. Sitting on the sidewalk, the look of loneliness, no place to go was on her face. It was one of those scenes if you could have taken a snap shot of it, it explicitly depicted a striking scene of despair in someone's life. That stuck in my mind, even now I see it.

Then as we crossed Chestnut, a four lane street, there was a man on a  wheelchair strolling down the sidewalk. His motorized wheelchair was cruising along. He seemed to be enjoying the nice weather, and I guess he decided to go out for a wheelchair stroll. I see him on the bus frequently. But on this sunny Christmas day he was evidently getting out to enjoy the day. Some have less than others, but make the most of what they have.

On the last bus I took, which was its last run of the day, a chipper lady got on and sat across the aisle from me. She seemed in good spirits, and it was my hunch she may have freely indulged in the "spirits" before she got on. She looked at me and said “Merry Christmas.” I nodded. As she sat there looking around, she began singing “Joy to the World.” ... nothing like a personal serenade on Christmas day. She wobbled off the bus; her weaving walk had a joyful feel to her step. ...seemingly enjoying who she was where she was.

Christmas Day on the bus. The bus for most gave them a way to get where they were wanting to go for the Christmas they had in mind. It was a place where the driver was a person who cared about them while on the bus. It was a place where some could fulfill the joy of the ride for what they wanted to do next. It was also a place where I had a view of one, who seemed alone, looked sad. I wondered if forgotten.

What I learned on the bus on Christmas day.

Life is not so much of what we have, but what we do with what we have, and making the most of being with those we are around.

The ride on Christmas Day dispelled a preconceived notion of all the lonely people that would be on the bus. It showed me that most set out to make the most of it, where they are, with what they have. The bus was an accommodating service to help them make it the "most wonderful time of the year" (as we hear sung around Christmas), the most wonderful day they could.

…..