The Bus Token

In March of 2000, I worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a non-profit organization National School and Community Corps NSCC. While working for NSCC I was also trained as a VISTA Volunteer In Service To America literacy specialist. As a VISTA I was asked to attend 2-day literacy training in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I was enthusiastic and excited, to say the least, to get the opportunity to visit the Pennsylvania State Capital. The trip accomodations were already paid for transportation, lodging, and food by the VISTA state office. All I needed to do was show up at the 30th street Amtrak train station on the day of departure and meet with my team leader and fellow VISTA volunteers. I can not remember exactly what day that was but I arrived there on time with two luggage bags ready for travel. The train ride to Harrisburg was smooth, quiet, and uneventful. We rolled into Harrisburg, gathered our luggage and a van was waiting for us to take us to the Holiday Inn hotel where we would be staying for the next two days.

The literacy conference was fantastic I had the opportunity to meet some really cool VISTA volunteers who were from other parts of Pennsylvania from rural and other big cities as far away as Pittsburgh, New York City, and Boston Massachusettes. I learned much about why illiteracy is not just a local problem but it's a national problem and why communities needed volunteers like VISTA's to help youth and adults overcome the issue of illiteracy. On the last day of the conference, there was a big banquet in the main ballroom. The chairman of the Toyota Foundation and sponsor of the conference gave the keynote remarks, thanking everyone who attended and thankful for the necessary work we all do in our communities to alleviate illiteracy.

On the way back home to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania something was troubling me. My Amtrak train ticket for the return trip to Philadelphia as I mentioned was already paid for but I did not have any money on me to get from 30th Street Amtrak station once we rolled into Philadelphia. I had no coins, no cash, and no Septa tokens or trans-pass to get on public transportation. I was worried about this because where I lived was a good 4-5 miles from the train station.

Here's what happened, when I boarded the train I found a train car that was nearly empty and I sat in an aisle seat. As the train departs Harrisburgh Amtrak station and we begin to roll, the only thing I can think about is how am I going to get home when we arrive in Philadelphia. The entire time I am pleading with the Universe to provide a way for me to get home when we roll into Philly. As we arrive and depart train stops along the way some people would board and some depart and not paying too much attention to that because I was focused on my immediate problem. What I observed was no one who boarded the train car I was on sat behind or in front of me until we rolled into one station (which I cannot remember the name) and a gentleman boarded and sat down in the seat directly in front of me. Neither of us spoke, exchanged eye contact, or pleasantries I just so happened to notice that he sat down in front of me. Well, two stops later that gentleman departed the train and again no eye contact, or exchange of pleasantries, he retrieved his bags from the overhead bin and left. Meanwhile, I am still in a state of panic and urgency to figure out a way for me to get home once we arrive in Philadelphia. Finally! we role into Philadelphia and as the train begins to come to a full stop everyone begins to stand up to retrieve their belongings. As I stand up to grab my luggage from the overhead bin I happened to look down at the seat in front of me and lo and behold on the seat in front of me was a SEPTA token. A SEPTA token is our local public transportation fare token to use for bus, el, or trolley transportation. I picked up the token and whispered under my breath thank you, Universe because it was exactly what I needed. At that moment my happy meter went from negative 10 to plus 110. I used the token to catch the bus home.

Note: What I forgot to mention was no one else who boarded the train car I was in sat in the seat in front of me after the gentleman who sat there and then left. I have a question for you. Was that sheer luck? or did I manifest the outcome I was looking for?