Riding a Bus

I take a bus everyday going to work. In the 15 minutes trip, I either read a book, or listen to music with MySony or occasionally recite the rosary or just let my mind wonder freely. The past days I allowed my mind to wonder and it bumped into something seemingly trivial but quite meaningful.

People change. Riding a bus can reveal to us funny and startling changes in us. So what changed in the way I ride a bus from my student days?

Before, I prefer sitting near the window. I never seem to get tired seeing the same things, place and people along the way--there seem to be always something new to see outside the bus. I don’t mind if I have to squeeze myself past the passenger sitting near the aisle. I enjoyed the wind brushing my face. So it’s not a big deal combing my hair after the trip. If there are no available seats near the window, I just take the nearest one.

Now, I prefer sitting near the aisle not only because it’s easier and faster to alight, but it seems that looking outside the bus is not as exciting as before. And it’s quite inconvenient now to squeeze past the person near the aisle—careful not let him/her kiss my butt, specially when the driver steps on the brakes. Yes, I don’t wanna comb my hair after a ride. Oh, I now comb my hair just twice a day—before I sleep and after I take my morning bath. (I recall always having a comb in my pocket then—my fingers now would do.) Now, in choosing an empty seat, I’d prefer to sit beside a more pleasant-looking person.

Do all these observations suggest then that my sense of awe and wonder have diminished? That I’m are more concerned with bottom lines and destinations rather than enjoying the trip? That not sitting beside a more pleasant-looking person will make my trip less enjoyable?

Hmmm…why not try again my old bus riding habits for a week?