Seven Pages of Solitude

Everything I need to know about living a full life, I have learned from guys on the bus. Its a funny thing to realize, but it is true for me. Haphazard conversations have provided me with abounding amounts of humor, wisdom and insight.

Here are some of the things I have learned: Stay in school, work hard, don’t be afraid to dream, take lots of picutres, laugh at cartoons, don’t be ashamed to cry for your loved ones when they die, do what you love, be respectful, life isn’t always fair but it is good, don’t have kids too soon, be careful who you sleep with, and make sure you always have your bus pass with you.

These conversations are rich, even when they are short and even when they are uncomfortable. They are valuable every time. No matter how much I learn about others and where they are from I feel like I always walk away with a thousand tidbits of wisdom for myself. I swear: guys on the bus can see into my soul. There have been a few that have guessed things about me that are eerily correct, and others that have been way off. I’m grateful for every one of them, though.

I could write a whole book just about guys I have met on the bus. It makes me wonder why the women always stay silent. Maybe it is something about me, or maybe it is that they generally don’t have the cocky confidence that says what they say is valuable no matter what it is.

It feels like I am a magnet for old guys that just like to hear themselves talk. Its okay with me, because I love to hear them talk. Each one is a snapshot burned into my brain, and I never want to forget a single one. I don’t want to forget their faces, their tears, their stories or their smiles. I don’t want to forget what they’ve given me: confidence, resolve, affirmation, insight, wisdom, and a reminder that people are beautiful, and they never stop being beautiful, even when they are a mess.