I ventured into a world today, that i have not seen for many years. I used to venture into this world every day on my way back from school, and it never used to really bother me – but since i have become so detached from this world – venturing back to it today made me realise how big and crazy the world is.
The world im talking about is the world of public transport. I used to use the bus to get home every day when i was at school. I used to like it as all my friends were there and it used to be funny watching the strange people get on and off and sit there rocking backwards and forwards etc. But after such a long absence from using public transport i had a totally fresh view on it. And here were my findings.
I was walking up to the bus stop in the rain, still half asleep – when i saw the bus come down the road, turn round on the roundabout, then bugger off back down the road again. Bastard, jsut missed it. Just as i approached the bus stop another bus got there and signalled as if to say “Do you want to get on here?” I nodded and legged it to the bus. I explained to him where my destination was and he said something in a funny language about catching the other bus up. He put his foot down and tried to catch him up, but couldnt. Looks like i was stuck there. He stopped at the next bus stop and picked up what appeared to be the regulars.
The people that got on were a right bunch! There were a couple of old ladies that were going to the gym to get their blood pumping around their bodies. They were both geordies and both seemed content talking about bingo, and trying not to look at anyone on the bus. There was a large oldish woman who brought on board a little dog called jack – who liked me straight away. The lady started talking to me before she’d even got on the bus, and continued talking to me till she got off the bus. She commented on how jack likes bananas, and apples. How she thinks a lot of ignorant people use buses and dont talk back to her when she talks, and she also said that her hayfever was coming thru bad and that she had taken lots of medicine and tablets to ease her pain. She then did the most feeble fake cough in the world. Bless. Blatantly just saying anything to strike up conversation with me – as i was an intruder to her normal routine.
The old ladies, and the crazy lady left the bus, leaving me on there all by myself. The next stop we picked up a few more old people, one guy in particular was one of those “i may have grey hair and wrinkles but im still young at heart” type people. He was full of smiles and cracked a joke with the bus driver as he was boarding. All the passengers seemed to know each other, and know where they were all going. As i sat there looking at them, and listening to what they had to say – it became apparent that the world they lived in, didnt extend further than the end of their bus route, and then back up to home via tesco. They didnt do anything out the ordinary, they did the same things week in, week out. And they were absloutley fine with this.
So why is it that i feel i have to do so much in my life? Does everyone have dreams and see themselves in many different places throughout he stages of their lives? Or do people really just settle for what they are given, work till they are old, and then join the regulars down at the gym and the bingo and dicuss how the new seats on the buses are a bit wild and that they are probably not that appropriate.
I would love to be content with what i have. I can never see that happening tho.
