I Rode the Bus Yesterday

It’s not as if I’ve never ridden a bus.

When I’ve ridden the bus before, it has been in a strange city, or because my car died, or I didn’t want to ride my bike home in the rain. Never before had I just decided to take the bus to go where I wanted to go and then come home again. But I did yesterday. What makes yesterday different is that I have reached a “certain age” and now can ride for free.

 

I am a spoiled westerner, married to my car. I know that people in the east regularly take public transportation. When I lived in Washington, D.C. for seven months, I took the bus and the Metro (subway train) daily to/from work and everywhere else I needed to go. But that’s because I didn’t have a car. I rode my bike, and I took the Metro.

My car is old and failing. I am rooting for it to survive another couple of years until I can buy an electric car with sufficient range to make sense for me. I absolutely refuse to buy another car with an internal combustion engine. So maybe taking the bus will give my car some relief and extend its life. Added bonus: I spent no money on gas when I took the bus.

Anyway, this is what I discovered yesterday.

The bus stop is a six minute walk from my house. The buses run on time. They’re clean. A little shabby, perhaps, but clean. The bus schedule is not always convenient to my schedule, so from now on, I will take a book. Or my knitting. It slowed me down, and gave me time to think, to look around, to appreciate the beautiful day, to enjoy the antics of the kids who were also waiting for the bus.

On the bus, I discovered there is a whole community of commuters who greet each other like old friends. They probably are, as they ride the same bus together every day. That was fun to see.

There are places in my town where parking is ridiculous. In fact, there are places I don’t even want to park my bicycle. So now I have an alternative. For certain, I will take the 6-minute bus ride to the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.

I picked up a bus schedule, although the website is amazingly easy to use. I had no idea that the buses run as frequently as they do, to as many places as they do. I didn’t even know that I can take my bicycle with me on the bus. This is truly a great alternative method of transportation. I, with blinders on, stuck in my car, had no idea.

But now I do.

And now and then, I’ll be riding the bus.

I Think I’ll Run for President

Since I believe that the two major party candidates currently running for the highest office in the land are in it for themselves and not the country (one more so than the other), I have no option left but to run for president.

Here, therefore, is my Common Sense Party’s platform. You will see that it is not one of issues, but of values.

Every proposed decision to be made by every person in my administration will hold that decision up to this set of six values to see if it holds true and is just:

1. Life. The Declaration of Independence promises us Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. This is bedrock of my candidacy. If what you propose to do does not promote, protect, and preserve life—all life, every life, in this country and around the world—it will not pass into law. This includes the legal slaughter which is war. This includes animals.

2. Equality. We are all equal. Every person on this planet. Period.

3. The Opportunity for Personal Growth. Every person needs the time to reflect, to dream, to contribute to society the art that is each personality and expressed in each life.

4. Empathy. Hardliners will get nowhere with me.

5. Compassion. The ability to see the other point of view is central to a peaceful society.

6. Love for Humanity. What else is government for?

Okay, you know I’m just kidding. I’m not a candidate for any office. There is too much yarn out there to be knit up into soft, warm, beautiful items of comfort. There are too many tomatoes to be grown and eaten on my homemade bread. Too many stories that need to be told through my peculiar filter.

But I am serious about the values that our candidates promote. Especially the oft-touted “family values.” What are they? Can they articulate those values? Are they the same as my values? If not, why not? Even if they are only “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” do the candidates really believe in those values?

Once a candidate’s values are set, everything else about how they will govern becomes obvious.

We all know this is a very important election. Ask these questions of not only the national candidates, but your local candidates as well.

Choose wisely.