Riding The Bus
Just a thought for the daylog. I’ve been riding the Metrobus to my train station for the last couple of weeks. It’s kind of a long story why – my wife and son went to North Carolina because we’re selling our house, and it’s easier to show when they’re gone during the day. Anyway, they took our only working car, so I kind of had to get to know the bus system in a hurry. My nearest Metro stop, West Falls Church, is more than two miles from my house, so I needed to know when and where to pick up the bus.
At first I thought it was going to be a real pain, but I got the hang of it right away. I found out that the stop was right near my subdivision, and the bus came every twenty minutes in the morning. Even better, I found myself really enjoying the rides to the Metro station on the bus. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because it reminded me of riding the bus to school when I was a kid. Back when I didn’t have so many responsibilities, and I could just take life as it came to me.
You see, since I was a kid, my life went on this incredible ride towards insanity. I worked in a large DC law firm, and eventually made partner. But in the process, I found myself wrapped up in cases that just took my life away from me. There were literally days when every single minute I had, other than sleeping and showering, were accounted for and billed to one client or another. During trials, I used to walk outside in the morning and grab a cab to work – charging it to the client, of course – just to save twenty minutes of my day.
Well, ever since I found out last Spring that I was going to have a child, I did this major downshift in my career. I don’t really recommend it. It’s harder to step off the treadmill than it is to increase the speed. But I’ve got more time. Time to spend with my wife. Time to spend with my son.
And time to spend with myself. Which is what the bus rides are. I get to just sit there and think. Watch people. Not worry about where I’m going or when I’ll get there.
It’s a life I left behind years ago, but I’m trying to find it again now. Before it’s too late.