Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

Funny things happen at bus stops.

I expect this chap is probably waiting for me to come along. I probably will soon.

Wednesday.....horrid weather. It was raining hard and the wind was blowing up a storm.
I had to go to work therefore I have to go to the bus stop.
My blog would be empty without bus stops. They have a lot to answer for.
I tucked myself into the shelter but couldn't sit down as the seats were all wet.
All the normal Americans were smugly passing by in their large, comfy, heated cars.
Cold and miserable, I was surprised when a young lady appeared in the shelter and said hello.
She then asked how I was .......I told her I was fine and asked how she was. She went into a little bit of shock mode then.
I have found that when people are trying to sell you something either on the phone or in a shop, they will start with "Hi how are you today?" and are taken back when I immediately ask them how they are too. Must not have been on script they had to learn.
She was in shock for another reason too.
"Accent trauma". This happens all the time to Philip and I. Someone will speak to us and when we answer their eyes glaze over and they turn into "accent zombies".
Once this happens we know that what ever we were ordering or buying will be totally wrong as their brain had frozen up as soon as it detected an unforeseen accent.
Anyway, this pretty young lady was armed with........a bible and leaflets. So it was clear a Jehovah's witness had found me.
I found this odd. I have never been accosted at a bus stop by a Jehovah's witness. I have had lots knocking at the door, in fact I had one couple who I used to come regularly and I would ask them in.
I am very interested in people's beliefs. I told them they would never convert me......I wouldn't be able to cope without Christmas for a start.....but they seemed happy to sit next to my laden Christmas tree and explain their religion.
One day, after I had been asking lots of questions, the guy stood up and said....." Oh dear look at the time. We really must be going."
My son thought this was hilarious. He said that with all the doors they get slammed in their faces this was probably the first time they had had to make excuses to leave.
They were a very nice couple who even used to bring little gifts for the cats but I didn't see them any more once we moved.
Back to the bus stop.
She then asked me if I had ever asked these questions.......pointing to one of her leaflets that was becoming rather soggy in the rain.

Does God really care about us?
Will war and suffering ever end?
What happens to us when we die?
Is there any hope for the dead? (I would have thought this was pretty obvious. If someone finds a body and says "there is no hope" it generally means they are dead and "beyond hope"....but what do I know?)
How can I find happiness in life?

I think that the above questions have gone through the mind, even if they resist the urge to stop and just keep on going, of most people regardless of religion.
So, they have pretty much got you right at the outset. I did like her though.
She was shorter than me. Heavens be praised.
Being vertically challenged myself, it is highly unusual for me to be taller than anyone else and I like it.
I liked the fact that she had to look up to speak to me. It was quite an odd feeling.

She then spent time talking to me about God etc, whilst I had one eye out for the bus.
She was not wearing a big coat, had no hat or hood, no umbrella..........."Coo", I said, " You picked a bugger of a day to go out doing this mallarky".
She agreed and I told her she needed a "brolly". I then explained what a "brolly" was.
She then wanted to know where I was from and the conversation rapidly left religion behind as I had now peaked her curiosity.
The bus was on the horizon as I bade her farewell and hoped she didn't get as drenched as her now rain sodden leaflets. She wanted to know if she could find me another day at the bus stop. I assured her (sadly) that she probably could.
I told her she should have dressed more warmly and then she informed me that she had a car parked just around the corner.
So, she had actually stopped her bloody car and ambushed me when she saw me at the bus stop.
Every day, it seems, I am so glad when that bus shows up.
Cow could have offered me a lift though.

Thursday...........off to the mall. Snowing. Windy and snowing.....oh I know it's Wisconsin.
Uneventful journey to the mall and quite a nice bimble around the mall.
Back to the bus stop to go home. Bus stops are taking on their own persona now.
They are like dread portals to a mystical land filled with numpties and Jehovah's witnesses.
I wasn't going to have a bus stop numpty free day....oh dear me no.
It was still snowing.

There was a man at the bus stop.
"The bus is coming", he reliably informed me. I actually did know this as I could see it too.
"Yes," I politely replied.
"The bus is coming.......the bus is coming." he repeated.
"Yes....I can see it."

"I have to get another bus after this one", he told me (as if I cared).
"Oh, I hope you don't have long to wait," I said. I know I shouldn't answer but I was brought up to be polite and it is difficult to switch that training off.
"No," he said, "my next bus is really fast."
"Goodo"
"I live on National and I have a cat," he continued, "it is a big black cat".
"Oh," I mumbled.
"My cat weighs 50 lbs" he fibbed. No way does he have a cat that weighs 50 lbs. That cat would weigh almost half of me or 2 and half times our Bubba cat and he is no lightweight.
"Big cat", I agreed.
He then looked at me at said enticingly " I am single and live alone !"
Now who would have thought that.
The bus had just arrived.
"No you don't," I disagreed, " You live with your big cat".

He waved me onto the bus before him and I stupidly went. I usually make sure any muppets get on first so when they sit down I can find the seat furthest away from them.
Fortunately, he sat at the front and I went way to the back.
I spent the whole journey gazing fixedly out of the window but just out of the corner of my eye I could see him keep turning round.

Another great bus adventure. I could write a book.

posted by Sue Banks @ 9:13 AM