First, readers of this blog know that I'm ridding public transit. It was purely because I decided it was a waste of money to spend over $200 per month compared to a $30 fee for a monthly pass. I'm really not doing it for the environmental issues, it is purely economical for me. I guess it's just not worth the difference in price to be cool enough to drive in my own personal bubble. Yeah you meet interesting people on the bus, but hey I meet interesting people at work too, so that's just fine. Let me tell you, I had absolutely no idea how interesting the folks would be. I could write and write about the bus, who knows maybe I will, but what I'm really saying is that I had absolutely no idea how interesting the people watching would get. Let me tell you more about it.
I was sitting on the bus one day, just minding my own business. We were heading home, it had been a long day. I had forgotten my iPod. I like to listen to things while I ride along, and wasn't able to. I was a little disappointed, but I got to do some reading during lunch, and that was fine. I was just sitting on the bus, looking out the window. There was an empty seat next to me, and the bus is usually full, so I knew someone would be sitting down next to me. Did I mention I was fine with that. I don't like to stand all the way home, it takes half an hour, so why not offer the seat to those getting on?
This young man, probably in his late 20's (remember, Will is now 24 years old), so I'm fine with someone this age sitting with me. As he sits down, I know that he's been smoking (not tobacco), and was very greasy (as in dirty), and it was obvious to me that he had been working. He was carrying a small day-pack, and a skateboard. I had some off brand MP3 player, and was listening to something loud enough that I couldn't hear what it was, but loud enough I could hear the bus over the noise of the bus.
I smiled at him and asked how his day was? He explained that he was happy to have it be the end of the day, and was ready to relax. I smiled and nodded. He didn't ask me about mine, and that's fine, I'm happy to sit in silence. About ten minutes later he patted me on my shoulder, took off one of his ear buds and offered it to me, since it was a cool song. The part that really got to me was this young man was offering me something that had just been in dirty ear. The earbud was white, well OK it was really a dungy grey, and black oil smears on it. I sat there in my wool trousers, and button down long sleeve dress shirt and thought "I don't want those things in my ears."
Then tonight, I get home from work and the neighbor boy across the street is have a band practice in his garage. It's not that these kids are bad, don't get me wrong. I would much rather have these kids doing this, than lots of other things. But it was so loud that Joanne and I couldn't talk over the noise from across the street and down two doors. I let them play for about an hour (they had already played for about an hour before I got home). And finally at 6:00 I decided to o across the street and talk to the parents. See if there was any way they could turn things down a bit. I was not able to walk up the entire driveway before the band stopped. They were playing in their garage. They are teenagers, and they are good kids. I've watched the one young man grow up, he tries hard to be good. The garage door was about half down, and the sound was just rattling around in this garage. Did I mention that these young men are developing talents? (Read that there was some thought from me that they might be a tad musically challenged.)
One of the young men recognized me, "Hi Mr. Johnson! How are you?", the drummer greeted me. I have no idea who this kid is, but then there are lots of kids in Scouts in the community that know me that I have no idea who they are. I explained to them, that while I didn't want them to stop playing I had to have them turn it down.
I also expressed my real fear, "Hey guys I don't want to be the old grey haired cranky old man, but you are rattling my walls. Can you help me?" We laughed for a minute, and they offered to close the garage door. I tried to convince them that they could turn their amps down and get the same results. We visited some more, I knew I had to get out of their hair, and let them go. They told me they wouldn't continue "band practice" late, and I smiled and turned the walk away. I was not able to get across the street before they had their garage door all the way down, and they've now been playing for about another hour.
We'll see how this goes. I'm just amazed that I have turned into this old guy that complains about lousy music. Not too long ago, I would have thought any live music is good. Now I'm complaining because these kids are just making too much racket! Wow I don't remember getting old...
