BUS

Dear All of Us,

My good friend,  

Michael Schaadt,

shared this with me.

I share with you.

May we all share  

    

   This Light

"Some years ago, 

I was stuck 

on a crosstown bus 

in New York City 

during rush hour. 

Traffic was 

barely moving. 

The bus was filled 

with cold, tired people 

who were 

deeply irritated 

with one another, 

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 

you are frustrated. 

I can't do anything 

about the weather 

or traffic, but here is 

what I can do. 

As each one 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 who had 

been pretending 

for the past hour 

not to notice 

each other's 

existence were 

suddenly 

grinning at each 

other like, 

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 

as they did this, 

some teared up 

but everyone did it.

The driver repeated 

the same lovely ritual 

at the next stop, too. 

And the next. 

All the way to the river.

We live in a hard world, 

my friends. Sometimes 

it is extra difficult 

to be a human being. 

Sometimes 

you have a bad day. 

Sometimes 

you have a bad day 

that 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 you become fearful 

and withdrawn. 

There are times 

when everything 

seems cloaked in darkness. 

You long for the light 

but don't know 

where to find it.

But what if 

you are the light? 

What if you are 

the very agent 

of illumination that 

a dark situation begs for? 

That's what 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 he used it 

beautifully 

for our benefit.

When life feels 

especially grim, 

or when I feel 

particularly powerless 

in the face 

of the world's troubles, 

I think of this man 

and ask myself, 

What can I do, right now, 

to be the light? 

Of course, 

I can't personally 

end all wars, or solve 

global warming, 

or transform 

vexing people 

into entirely 

different creatures. 

I definitely 

can't control traffic. 

But I do have 

some influence 

on everyone 

I brush up against, 

even if we never 

speak or learn 

each other's name.

"No matter who you are, 

or where you are, 

or how mundane or tough 

your situation may seem, 

I believe you can 

illuminate your world. 

In fact, I believe 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."

~ Elizabeth Gilbert

        ******

     WHAT A WEEK

It has been wonderous.

This week multiples of

many new people from 

Germany, Austria, Brazil

            to 

Kenya, Tunisia and

many more lands

virtually immigrated 

  to join us here.

       

  You are welcome 

          and 

 lovingly embraced 

     here in this 

      Love Land

           of

  frankly speaking

      that we all 

      are happy 

      to share 

      with you.

NEXT ONLINE POSTING

Tuesday morning/afternoon

East Coast USA time

January 28,2025

NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

Friday

January 31, 2025

LAST FIVE ONLINE POSTINGS

   

       Simply scroll down 

       beneath this posting. 

Glad we're all together here 

           on the bus.

                  Jesus is 

    

     "THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

     How wonderful that he wants 

          to share and shine  

              through us.

                 Lots of 

      "This Little Light Of Mine"

    shared and shinning together

        will, as Elizabet said,

             bright lite lift

            where we live

            THE WORLD

             Love to all.

             God Bless,

             John Frank 

             frankly speaking

        spirituality for the street

    johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

                  ******