A Beautiful Connection
September 25th, 2018
As I rode the bus into work, tired, dazed and a bit confused, the morning rush began to engulf the persona of everyone it surrounded. It’s early, most people are going somewhere they don’t want to and everyone is worried about getting to that somewhere on time. Ironically enough, you’re lucky if you even make eye contact with one person on a packed bus. With all eyes down toward cell phones and ears occupied with headphones you allow yourself to stand alone in a room full of people.
But this day was different. As soon as I hopped on that bus, and (luckily) got a seat, a baby boy looked at me and continued to do so. Being the softy I am when it comes to innocent chubby faces, I gave into the boys smile and shared one back. Our interaction continued with a wave of my hand and a chuckle from his belly…my day was made and it was only 8:00 a.m..
As the bus drove along Commonwealth Ave, an older man entered and sat across from the boy. And as that man sat there, about to join the occupied world of isolation, the boy reached into that world and pulled him out. Well…he was reaching for the man’s cane. But it’s ironic isn’t it? This boy was fixated on that cane. Couldn’t stop playing with it. It was a perfect balance of two revelations; inevitable destiny (death), and infinite opportunity (life). With all the emotions such revelations could bring…it was simply humbling.
The man let the boy play with the cane, and you could see the joy shared between them. And I’ll say it….to see a black boy engage and play with an older white man on a city bus was refreshing. So before anyone thinks to themselves “why does race always have to be brought up”. Let me say, this moment had everything to do with race, gender, age and so much more just as much as it had nothing to do with it. There is value in acknowledging differences that authentically come together and strip itself of socialized meaning . To witness a rarity, let alone during the morning rush is an awakening. Perhaps it is the perfect time to truly wake up and spot a gem in all the hustle and bustle. In just a glimpse of these two human beings engaging, I witnessed the past, future, and present all become one by 8:12 a.m..
So really, what are we all in a rush for anyways? Maybe the world would slow down, and live a little longer if we just gave it the attention it deserves. Life is constantly looking us in the face, and I think it’s time we looked back.
