Memories, translated…
Since I graduated from college, I’d never been on a bus, but, because of a chance, I got reconnected with the busses once more. Staying at home, the car I owned, I don’t even drive three times a month, and, I still had to start the engine from time to time, to make sure that it’s working right, plus the annual trips to the garage for tune-ups, the twice a year examinations, and how I’d needed to start the engines every couple of day, to make sure that my car won’t be broken, after considering everything, the money it took me, to keep my car well can afford me my cab fares for a year, and so, I’d given my “silver horse” to someone else to keep.
At first, when I’d started getting to and from on busses, I’d put twenty dollars into the slots, and, after my friend learned, he’d laughed at me, said that I didn’t utilize the advantage of being a citizen in Taichung, turns out, that for the first eight kilometers, the bus rides are free, that’s outrageous, so I quickly got an MRT pass.
I’d used how able-bodied I am, and stood all the way to my destination, but, once, there was a male student who’d stood up, to give his seat to me, and, after I’d told him it wasn’t necessary, I’d still ended up, sitting down, I’m just in my midlife, not old age yet, and, I have less than thirty strands of white on me, there wasn’t even enough wrinkles on my face, I should be separated from the needy, shouldn’t I?
My eyes which were originally glued to the scenes outside the windows, started turning inward, as the bus pulled up to the stops, a couple of older adults came on, and the younger generation would stand up all of a sudden, and, this scene would reply over and over, each and every time the bus pulled up to a stop, there’s NO need to label the seats, if someone needs, every single seat IS a priority seat. I love the kind of giving that needed no acknowledgments, the elderly are respected on the busses.
“Do get on!”, “Be careful when you get off!” “Thank you for riding!”, the driver kept repeating these words of concern, as people getting on and off, his tone of voice was exactly the same, warm and comforting, as I’d gotten off, I’d commended him, “Thank you, you’re amazing!”, he’d replied, “It’s what I’m supposed to do, you’re more than welcome.”, this free bus ride for eight kilometers, had made me a rich man psychologically.
The older couples who helped one another, the young mothers with their children, the retired hiking buddies, the literary with a bag of books, the housewives who went shopping at the marketplaces, the students who woke up late, and, the men who wore their running shoes………it’d became this scene of beautiful people, and, I never get tired of being an observer of.
And so, this, is why having a keen sense of observation is a huge perk, you get to note the things that people misses usually, and you’d feel moved, by the smaller matters too.
Life, the Obstacle Course 