All Aboard

We are on a journey. Bought a ticket for the journey and we were clear when we bought it about what we needed on the bus. Chose it for many reasons that were important to us. We waited in line for the bus to arrive.

When the bus arrived and we handed our tickets we were excited: we’ve planned for this journey. Saved for it. Looked forward to all we would see and do.

This is the only bus for the journey, and we were ready to board. Then we learned, as we took the step onto the bus, that it wasn’t the bus we wanted. Not at all.

Oh no. No. No. No. NOT this bus. Not THIS bus?! This was NOT my plan. This was not OUR plan!

Some of the passengers were thrilled. This was THEIR dream vehicle!

Their driver. Their map. Their plan. Their route.

This was NOT what we wanted, but we were on the bus. There is no other choice.

We are all on the same journey.

Many are happy. Many are terrified. Others don't care. Many are depressed. Many are sad. So very very many are exhausted. (Some are a mix of those things.) Others are just sitting in a fog, trying to pretend this isn't happening.

But it is. And you know what? At the end of this journey we will get off of the bus. There will be another waiting for us, best case, to take us on our next leg of the trip. No matter what happens now, for these next four years, there is something very true to keep in mind.

What people will remember about us is what we did while we were on the bus, how we showed who we really are as we were all on the journey.

• What we said.
• What we did.
• Who we helped.
• How we treated others.

We don’t get the time spent on this journey back- there are no refunds for this life. Once lived, once we spend those minutes-days-years of our life: they are gone.

I didn’t want this four year bus ride.

I tried not to be on this bus. Didn’t want this bus line. Don’t want this driver. Have no tolerance for the fuel.

But here we are. I know I’m not alone in how I feel.

I am not enjoying the comments from the tour guide and I can see some of my fellow travelers wincing. See them either shrinking back in their seats, or muttering their distaste, or trying to gather enough people to pull the cord and toss the driver out of the door.

I don’t like the stops this travel agency have planned. The route doesn’t make sense. Their concept of a plan is one that I've read and I hope against all practical hope that they won't have time to cram it all into four years.

This is not how I wanted to spend four years of my not-so-many-years- left life. I know I’m already feeling travel-sick and we haven’t truly gotten started.

But, again… here we are. We're all in this together like it or not, planned for it or not. Happy or not.

I’m going to check my bags for the things that bring me comfort and security. I’m sure I have something I can share with someone else that needs help on this journey.

I want to be remembered, at the end of this ride, as someone that made the journey easier, that helped find the way when we got lost, and that maybe had a pretty good singing voice when things got too dark.

This wasn’t the ride I chose, but it’s the ride I’m on. I don’t have that many rides left that I can afford to sleep through it. I’ll pitch in as much (probably too much) as I can, tell the kids some stories, hold your hand when you’re scared.

And look forward to the day we get a new driver. I hope you’ll remember me as a good travel mate.

Here; have a cookie.🍪

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Comment welcomed, fellow travelers.