On a recent busy day in April, I experienced serendipity at the bus stop.
After my Bible study, I took the bus to the library. My pal Patricia was talking about her book about helping chronically ill people. This was much more interesting and affirming than you might think.
I walked down to the Board of Education building to get an absentee ballot for the school and library budget vote on May 16. Leaving the building, I saw the #18 bus rolling by, and there wouldn’t be another one for a half hour.
My friend David came by. I hadn’t seen him in a few years, even though he lives in town. That is until March, when he and his wife saw the Sister Act at Albany High School, as we did.
He was coming back from serving on a grand jury. I surprised him by knowing that there were 23 people empaneled. I didn’t realize that they only need 18 to make decisions. He’s been selected regularly for various petit and grand jury services.
This led to a conversation about my limited previous jury selections in 2007 and 2014. Hmm. If I were a betting man, I would guess I’d get called again this year.
The ‘burbs
I took the bus to Delmar to pick up two chicken dinners, a fundraiser for the FOCUS Churches. After picking up the meals, I got to talk with Fred, the executive director, and a former neighbor.
Fred recalled a specific incident from nearly two decades ago. He was walking his daughter, who was about a week old. Her name is the same as my wife’s. My wife was about four weeks pregnant then, though we didn’t tell him about that until some weeks later. It was a fond memory.
As I took the bus home, Rebecca, who I used to enjoy frequently seeing on my work days, boarded. Her son went to my college alma mater. We had a brief but lovely chat.
Sometimes, I have to pay attention to the good stuff. They’re not big, shiny events but pleasant interactions that hadn’t occurred as often during the pandemic. So I honor them.
I’ve experienced serendipity at the bus stop- the one I most remember is just after Tom died. I was trying to figure out how to contact his former employer. While waiting for the 905 to work a woman at the bus stop struck up a conversation and it turns out she worked there so I got the information I needed, It used to annoy Katey no end because strangers at bus stops tend to do that with me for some reason. Got a don’t talk to strangers mom lecture a few times from her