Bus Therapy
How would you explain to someone that you find peace in riding a bus?
Here in the Philippines, buses are an important mode of transportation, just so -- its not as pleasant as riding your car or hiring a cab. Why? Because its a public transpo! Like the Jeep and Trike. When riding a bus, you get to mingle with different kinds of people. Everyday you get to see a man wearing a suit who looks so sharp & handsome, and there is an elderly woman seating on the first row of the chair behind the driver. You get to see an adult couple with their 6 years old stubborn daughter, or a noisy college buddies who plays mobile legend non-stop til they reach their destinations. Did I forget to mention a group of construction workers who looked like they just got out of a cement floor and looks at you like you are a food they'll soon to devour? Oh, and there's this teenage couple who argues over a facebook post about Expectation vs. Reality of a relationship (Oops, I overheard), then just magically kisses and makes-up afterwards. Yes, there's those silent types too; like a girl who just reads her notes, probably she has exams later, and there's this guy who wears eyeglass and is now lost in his own universe while reading a marvel comic book (looks original!). These are just few of my observations upon typing this while waiting for someone to sit next to me until the bus is full.
Imagine, you ride a bus who has a capacity of 60 seats all in all and don't forget that the conductor still lets people in for a stand-in. How many passengers will there be? I don't know. But what I do know is that, its gonna be super full of human with different characters, upbringing and personalities. So, how does this became a therapy for me?
Simple. I see stories.
I am no writer, but I love seeing stories. I see walking stories everyday. All the non-cliche and cliche type. I get to see different eyes, shoulders, smiles, eyebrow twitches when a commotion happens in the bus and many more. I feel more in love with human from the bus rides. 5 days a week, I ride the bus from home to my workplace and vice versa and never did I experience the same story; whether I seat from my favorite spot next to the window or be in the aisle--standing in because I missed the schedule.
And the best part is, the journey. You just plug your earphones and play that "Songs in the Car" playlist in Spotify and you observe the surroundings. From one city passing to another. From the Skyway to the regular roads the driver takes. From traffic to fast tracks. From trees to Buildings. Sometimes if I'm lucky, I see the sunset or the sunrise from the high-roads. And it feels terrific. It feels like flying. Letting the wind pass through your hair to annoy the person next to you, yet you let the wind gives you that cold brush. That sensational feeling reminds me of Stephen Chbosky's famous quote from The Perks of being a Wallflower book/movie:
"I Feel Infinite".
You? Do you do Bus therapy as well?
