For Little Things

I am thankful for little things, and don't chronically complain, though sometimes my blogging leads me to believe otherwise. So here is a short list of things that I am thankful for in my new car- free life.

1. The Most Beautiful People Ride the Bus.

Scores of beautiful children every week- eating out of small bags of potato chips, laughing with and at each other as their sneakers dangle over the seat, fighting big tears and yawns as their mothers and fathers and grandparents try to comfort them, or don't. Last month I saw an old man wearing a black top hat and tails on a bus downtown. Elegant and colorful vintage winter coats, braids, wigs and hats. Late this summer on a bus my girlfriend and I saw a young woman whose breasts were popping out of her artful dress- you would have to pay to see that in any other part of the city.

2. Voluto Coffee.

I would never drive to a coffee shop on the way to or from work or anywhere else. Or as a destination- I don't like to hang out. But Voluto is on my walk to work in the first mile. They have some orange lettering out front, which attracted me, as well as their newness. And it turns out they have exceptionally good coffee. My coffee drink of choice these days is a macchiato, and theirs is like liquid burnt caramel- in the best possible way. I am budgeted for one a week, and I look forward to it.

3. Free Exercise.

Walking to work provides me with an efficient way to exercise. I don't have to set aside a time to do it- it is already programmed into my day. And it is free.

4. Little Brown Birds.

At the Penn Mall Station bus stop, little brown birds flock and scatter, poking at crumbs and bits of food and cigarettes that people drop. I've never been a bird watcher, though I like to spend time outdoors in nature. These little guys have connected me with animals and the natural world in a way that going hiking or camping or mushrooming or walking my beast of a dog has not. I marvel at their intricate coloring, their even more intricate wings, and their tenacity.

5. I Don't Have to Pump Gas.

As anyone who has rescued me on the side of the road because I failed to look at the low fuel mark knows, I hate to pump gas. My friend Liz taught me how in high school after I had been driving for a full year. I had my sister do it for me before that.

6. The Blessing of Bus Drivers.

I am lucky to have a wonderful person sending me off to work everyday with a kiss and a smile and a wish for a good day. But when a bus driver says, "You have a good one," or invokes some similar hope as I de-bus, it adds another layer of goodness to my day. It feels genuine, and it brings back the feeling I had departing the school bus when our neighbor was the driver- warm and familiar. It is especially welcome when facing a geometry quiz third period, or a conference call after lunch.