Today, as I was rushing to get through the streets of New Haven, I got stuck, stuck behind a school bus. My thoughts began to yell inside my head. Please, no. Please do not put your red lights on. Please do not flip that stop sign out.
Then, the bus began to flash it’s red lights. Next, the stop sign snapped dutifully into position. A deep sigh filled my car, rather loudly. As I watched, the following scene unfolded before me.
A girl, about 15 years old, was helped off of the bus by presumably her father. He carefully held her arm, as she held his, and they began walking towards their home. Then, they paused for a moment. Does she need a break, need to rest? No, that’s not it at all. What I see touches me deeply. I see them both carefully looking at a piece of artwork she had brought home with her. They each point at different parts of the picture on the paper. Then, he looks into her eyes , and she into his. The warmth of their connection snaps me back into reality. All at once I am embarrassed at my pettiness in my rush to get past the bus. My rush to pass this, when this is what life is all about.
I just know that my rushing, my lack of attention to the world around me, I mean the important stuff, is such a missed opportunity, an opportunity to learn, to better understand. I so desire to better understand. I must make an effort to slow down and observe, take it all in. This will help me to understand, others, the world, myself.
myonewordjourney 