Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Public Transport Musings

It's almost a given. Put me on a bus, drop the outside temperature just a little and hide the sun behind some clouds...and I will be nodding off to the rhythm of the bus on the road, my dreams punctuated with panicked glances out the window to assure myself that I've not missed my stop. These are also the times that I let my prayers run wild, putting someone or some situation into my mind and ruminating with God over what I should ask for, do, be silent about, forget.

Today, with my slowly dying ancient ipod shuffle playing my new Leonardo Gonçalves cd, ministering to my soul even in dreamland, I wandered through places in my mind that haven't been visited in a while. Prayed about things I haven't prayed about in years. I have a little bit of a perma-smile imprinted in every cell today. It makes me think of that line in "Eat, Pray, Love" where the old medicine man tells Elizabeth that good meditation will make even her liver smile. That's kind of how I feel right now.

Even though there is a lot going on that I don't really understand, it is nice to know that at least in my little semi-controllable world, things are peaceful.

Last night was street ministry. I broke up fights and ordered people to put their drugs away and yelled at an older teen who was smoking crack until he was pressured to move away. An old friend who is missing a front tooth is excited because someone is going to help him with his "inventory" so he can sell soft drinks from a styrofoam cooler on the street. But he's going to "go somewhere far away from here. Otherwise, the other kids will finish off my stock! When I figure out where I'm going to set up business, I'll let you know, Tia, and you can get a free drink!" I laughed and said that I would be happy to pay.

Another kid, who was so clean and mostly sober when I bought gum off of him three days before, in another area of town I assumed was where his family lived, was back at his old habits.

And CurlyGirl, whose blond locks are matted and wild like some 1980's rocker, looked at me with wide eyes as I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders.
-Where are you going???
-To class.
-OH!!!!!!!!!! Have a GOOD class!!!

With a huge smile and that hair flying here and there. How could I not?

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