Public Transportation

In a nutshell: humanity up close and personal. There are those who live in major metropolitan areas and choose to get around this way throughout their lives; others eagerly await the day to move to where a car is actually required, regardless of the cost, with a primary objective being no longer having the unpredictable immediate proximity of strangers and what accompanies being a part of their daily travels. All we have is today, as events and tragedies continue to remind us, and will continue, until we 'get it'.

I may or may not be torn when the day comes that I will be choosing between the comfort of a 'new car smell' and the faces of unknown children, their parents, grandparents, those elated and in visible pain in one form or another, and the option of the shared commute.

A balance of some kind would be in order; the more we are able to feel good or at peace during available moments, the easier it is to move ever closer to our common visions, and to help others to go to a 'place' where they may be able to claim visions of their own. Sensitive souls are often at risk for 'high vibrations' being quickly lowered by others' pain, too close for comfort.

There is no invisible 'force field', 'immunity', or guaranteed 'shield' from what can affect us or others at any given moment. This 'lesson' continues to repeat itself in different forms, either to us or as we witness it happen to others. There is a dispair that comes with the feeling of helplessness when those we love are in pain that we cannot easily or quickly 'fix'. It can have a 'slowing effect' on momentum, real or imagined, as those we love become temporarily 'disconnected' by trauma, grief, and recovery. It is how humans survive; to bounce back as though nothing happened would be unnatural or questionable.

Happiness is a choice; joy is momentary and ongoing at the same time, as our connections to each other become ever more acknowledged and forces are joined, slowly, in waves, spurts, and 'sudden' revelations.

Pain and joy witnessed as a captive audience on a bus, train, ferry, or other means is filtered through the awareness of all who see them individually and differently by single and separate human perceptions, directly connected to invisible conditions within each person. Gender, culture, race, anger, joy, fear, comfort, and anticipation of the unknown are but a few of too many to count: the layers through which one 'sees' what's directly in front of them.

We do not see what the one next to us observes, if they do at all. To identify the layers, we must first identify ourselves; no two are the same. Each has its place. What moments to act on; which to 'ignore'? The answers can only be within our grasp by knowing ourselves. From the deafening din of the inescapable there is no 'quiet' to go within and 'listen'. We must find the places to find ourselves in every possible moment, and identify why we are 'there'. Can peace be found in chaos, or is the latter merely another perception; the answer is different according to whom you ask, and at what moment.

As this is being written the loud laughter of children is filling the air. As it is mostly happiness and enjoyment, there is no distraction. This is a privelege: to be surrounded by joy in this moment, unanticipated, appreciated, accepted, cherished. Every breath is a miracle, as is every child, who in the next moment will be on their way to the next 'unknown'. If there is any purpose in this, it is to be reminded that it is within our power to instill as much contentedness as we can for as many moments as possible. Collectively, the potential rewards are infinite.

Isolation has its place in appropriate proportion, as does being steeped in a sea of 'unknown' souls. 'Balance' is subjective or relative, with no 'correct' answers. We feel for the sorrows, however temporary, of those across this sphere we cannot see or speak to in this moment, knowing we are all connected in some way, yet to be revealed, in process, necessary, and toward a higher level of understanding.

The soul across the aisle during a public commute can seem as far away, by choice or otherwise, impenetrable, or screaming from within, if not literally, if 'seen' at all. 'The luxury of thought' beyond basic survival waves forward again, not unlike a giant flag in the wind. It can feel like silk, or as rough and stinging as burlap, according to where we stand, or sit, in this moment. Again, the 'contrast' is part of 'understanding'. The children remind us of 'simplicity' in all its beauty: why they are born. A validation by a 'stranger' can be remembered for a lifetime (as well as a violation, by the same, or someone trusted). Every day is a 'lifetime' of events. There is value in perspective, incomplete without the sum of its parts. There is love, and there is 'contrast'. In gratitude: the best possible moment to you, in the spirit of all kindred wishes.