The Public Transportation Diaries — Part 3
Nov. 4, 2021:
Sometimes I spend so much time looking for joy that it finds me.
I got on the public transportation shuttle the other day to go to an appointment and as I boarded the shuttle, my heart sank as I saw six people on it — a full bus, something that I’ve never had to worry about. Now I was worried about making my appt. on time.
What I didn’t know was that all these people were going to adult day care and the same driver took them daily. Among the passengers was a little girl who was brain damaged named Gabby wearing a jacket with hearts and kisses and a man in the back always made sure his phone was programmed to her favorite song by Stevie Wonder on Pandora.
This song, “You Can Feel It All Over” came out in 1977 when I was 11 and when it came out I loved it and still do. Now this man in the back started playing Gabby’s song as usual and she lit up and started clapping and stomping her feet.
Her mom said, “She loves this song!” and the driver said “Sing it Gabby!” And my heart was truly touched. This went on most of the way there and it was a joy to behold. I wished that Stevie himself could be there to witness this child getting so much joy out of his song. This was a daily ritual for this group. To think that this child, even though she was non-verbal could get so much joy out of such an uplifting song just warmed my heart!
And when the driver dropped this group off, I had a totally new perspective.
Nov. 2021 — A driver took me to the grocery store and before I got out, handed me an empty candy wrapper and asked me if I could get her the same stuff. She gave me $2 but it wasn’t enough so I had to pay for it myself. We exchanged numbers so I could get it back to her since I wasn’t likely to have the same driver coming back. She rushed to get back at the same time my other new driver pulled up to pick me up. I gave my original driver the candy with the money and told her in a nice way I had to pay for the candy myself since there wasn’t enough money. She told me I bought her the wrong kind of candy and to keep the change since I told her I had to grab the other van to get home.
I had her again not long after that and she waited till we got back to my apartment when she asked if I had a soda, much to my surprise. I tipped her and she said, “Good, now I can get myself a Coke.”
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Dec. 2021 — I was at the grocery store checking out and I heard a redneck guy arguing loudly with some other people I couldn’t see. A cashier said loudly, “Someone needs to call security” but nothing happened. I checked out and was leaning up against the window as usual waiting on my van. All the sudden I see the redneck guy getting literally stomped on by three guys. I guess they were waiting for him to leave the store to jump him. Turns out, as I heard him when he said the comment, he was insulting one of the guy’s girlfriends.
The customers who were waiting to leave the store kept asking for security but they weren’t around. They showed up when it was over.
The redneck guy followed the guys who beat him up to their car. He had stood up with no problem and could walk fine much to my amazement. He took pictures of what I assumed was their license plate. Then a Hispanic guy got out of his car and was making his way into the store, minding his own business when the redneck shifted his focus on to him. The Hispanic guy, a large gentleman, opened his arms and said, “Come at me bro!” and the redneck backed off. At the same time my driver arrived and asked me, “What did I just roll up on?” and I told him the whole story.
“Well, if he was insulting one of their girls he deserved what he got,” the driver said.
Jan. 2022 — On two different occasions a cashier from an old grocery store I used to go to gave me a ride home. I had known her from her previous place of employment for several years. When I tried to pay her for gas on both occasions she turned me down.
Feb. 2022 — I miss the places I used to be able to go to when I had my car. I missed my old job. One of the places I used to frequent was a one-stop mailing place and I had become friends with the owner and his wife. It was a mom n’ pop business and so many times the person who ran the business and I would talk about politics at length.
March 2022 — I was preparing for my annual birthday trip to see my sister in Florida. It was the one time of year since I totaled my car three years ago that I didn’t have to worry about transportation. It was a great freedom as I would feel the fresh air and my sister always had planned fun things for us to do, always creative and unique.
April 2022 — On the way back from my trip I tore my meniscus and ACL on the plane. It was a freak accident that happened when I stood up to let a woman to her seat and my entire leg cracked like a tree branch from top to bottom. My legs had always popped along with other body parts but this was completely different. I screamed and the woman who was getting to her seat asked if I was okay. I didn’t answer but I sat down and wasn’t in any pain. However, once the wheelchair that I always rode in because of my arthritis in my feet courtesy of the airport picked me up, I realized I was in trouble.
May 2022 — I got an x-ray on my leg and they told me I’d have to have surgery June 22. I had no one to take care of me and even though my mom urged me to go to rehab I didn’t want to give up my creature comforts. But, when I got out of surgery wearing a brace and the nurses couldn’t help me in the bathroom one of the nurses told the doctor she was afraid to send me home. Thus began my two-week stay in rehab with a home health care nurse and in-home physical therapy planned after.
June — Recovering from my knee, the brace kept slipping down and every time a nurse or doctor adjusted it, would continue to fall down. They told me if my leg didn’t stay in the brace and stay straight for the period of time required that my leg wouldn’t heal properly. But it wasn’t to be. I also had a hard time with the at home physical therapy. Now, to catch rides I had to use a walker and the drivers always acted alarmed when they pulled up to pick me up even though they knew ahead of time I was going to be using the device.
July 2022 — I was still having to catch rides with the walker and one day one of the maintenance men at the complex I lived in made a crack that I didn’t need it which infuriated me. The outpatient physical therapy also didn’t work out much like the last two times I was in it. This time I was in too much pain after each session for four to five days. So I quit plus I had a big bill and couldn’t rack up any more.
