on trying to like the bus:

for many years i've hated the bus. i mean, don't get me wrong-- i'm a big fan and advocate of public transit, and i intensely admire the people who use it, but when it comes down to it, i'm a little lazy and always short on time, and let's just say that there are many things i think i have to carry with me at all times, preferably in a trunk. things like a stash of reusable bags in case i have to stop at the grocery store, the ergo carrier just in case adah wants to be worn again, the stroller (just in case), and other important things like my tennis racket that i haven't used for at least three years. these items do not fit into my regular bag, which is crowded with water and cameras-- lifelines as far as i'm concerned. oh, and snacks. for those of you who are familiar with adah's eating habits, you know that she needs to be consuming food at all times.

in addition to a commitment to car dieting for the planet's sake, which the last couple summers have been characterized by, my class at portland state last week was a motivator for me to begin weaning myself from the car and its trunk. i have to say that despite a couple annoying occurrences which i remembered were routine about bus riding (like, no matter what time you leave to catch the bus, it will start pulling away 10 seconds before you arrive at the stop), i was able to have some nice experiences. in fact, for your benefit and mine, i've even spent some time creating a list of bus taking benefits. here they are: you get to know those in your neighborhood, you get to read sections of the oregonian that have been left on a bus seat, you get to be an anthropologist and spy on conversations, you get to NOT drive your car and get mad at people, you get to catch up on your reading (if that sort of thing doesn't make you puke), you get exercise walking to and from stops (call it cognitive restructuring, or whatever, but it helps!), and you might even get to witness some damn good people doing some damn good things for the world.

for instance, one morning i decided to actually take my headphones off and talk to the guy who had been getting on the bus every morning with two huge duct taped bags full of bread. we ended up having the nicest conversation. i didn't learn his name, but i did learn that he goes to various bakeries to collect bread donations to deliver to elderly folks downtown.

it was also helpful for me to take mental notes on all of the places I could get to on one single bus, which were many. but the only problem is the thing I mentioned at the beginning of the post: the dilemma of time. i didn't mind riding downtown, but what about on days when you have lots of errands or need to go to bob's red mill for a 50 pound sack of flour with a 2 year old? or the zoo? sure, it's easy enough to get there, but according to the trimet clock, it takes 54 minutes to get there. um, that would be like 2 hours round-trip, when I could drive in 12 minutes each way. with a trunk. i realize i'm writing from a very privileged perspective, but what's a girl to do? i need inspiration!