A bus driver

(Shared by a friend)

I was stuck on a crosstown bus some years ago in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving, and the bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another and with the world itself. 

Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.

But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom.

"Folks," he said, "I know you have had a rough day and are frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here is what I can do. 

As each of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? 

Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight; just leave them with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I will open the window and throw your troubles in the water."

It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People pretending not to notice each other’s existence for the past hour were suddenly grinning at each other. Is this guy serious?

Oh, he was serious!

At the next stop, just as promised, the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. 

Some people laughed, some teared up, but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual all the way to the river.

We live in a hard world, my friends. 

Sometimes, being a human being is extra difficult. You sometimes have a bad day, and sometimes, it lasts for several years. 

You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news and become fearful and withdrawn. 

But what if you are the light? What if you are the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?.

 This bus driver taught me that anyone can be the light at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy influencer. 

He was a bus driver, one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power and used it beautifully for our benefit.

"No matter who you are, where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, you can illuminate your world. In fact, this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated, one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river.