Reflections – People on the Bus

Carol A. Hand

Yes, I know I look old dressed in funky well-worn clothing
Perhaps you’ll ignore my presence or view me with loathing
But be careful not to judge others too quickly as one thing or another
The substance of people and life holds many miracles to discover

I met a man at the bus stop a few days ago who proved this lesson so clearly
A younger man, down and out, who talked conservative politics nonstop for eternity
Yet I watched him on the bus as he looked down at the child he obviously loved dearly
A powerful man, still he held his son in a gentle embrace for anyone who cared to see

We’re not that different, he and I, although our political views are diametrically opposed
The superficial traits that separate us – age, gender, ancestry, education – only matter
when we can’t see the essence of others because our hearts and minds are closed.

father-and-son-2

Drawing/Photo – Carol A. Hand

***

40 thoughts on “Reflections – People on the Bus”

  2. Indeed! While I may not align with the beliefs and/or principles of others, there is the underlying unity of family: of doing what’s best for those we love. The “what” differs vastly in some ways, but in other ways? No, not so much. 🙂 Thanks for this, Carol!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Jean. I wonder if we will ever be able to focus on the things that unite us, like love for our children, and work out our differences through dialogue rather than war…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I wish I could locate the quote–one of the British comedians of Monty Python, Terry Jones, is also a student of Medieval history with quite the knowledge on the Crusades. It’s a heavy paraphrase, but once he said something like this: “Here Christ said all these nice things like ‘love thy neighbor,’ but people have spent the past 2000 years killing each other because they can’t agree on HOW He said it.”
        It’s this petty nonsense that keeps us where we are.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Yes, it’s soooo much easier to divide people than it is to bring them together as we see so clearly in these times. And “divide and conquer” strategies are the easiest way to assure success for those who want to maintain their power over others…

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    1. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, Ken. I wasn’t sure I would be able to draw this from memory. Even though I did have my camera with me at the time, I just couldn’t intrude on this special moment, so I tried to pay careful attention to details. I didn’t have the time or courage to try drawing it yesterday, but I knew if I didn’t try today, the chance would be lost. I played with Word photo tools after I took pictures of the drawing, and chose this version. Light did seem to emanate from this father/ son bond.

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  5. “We’re not that different, he and I, although our political views are diametrically opposed
    The superficial traits that separate us – age, gender, ancestry, education – only matter
    when we can’t see the essence of others because our hearts and minds are closed.”

    Amen, Carol! Beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

        2. Indeed, Carol!

          Never ending messages everywhere we turn. This technical age has only enhanced the powers that be ability to divide, polarize, conquer and rule us.

          Liked by 1 person

  6. So poignant, your observations. I often observe others, reflect on our similarities (particularly how we all love our children) and wonder why we are separated by hate and fear of one another so easily. You’ve added one step on our journey to a better world. Thank you, Carol!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, Kathy. I see the same ability in many of the pieces you post. ❤

      I'm curious to know if you are inspired by images or find them after you've written something. I often see images in my mind or environment before I write. It's what inspires me to write. Sometimes I can take photos or find public commons photos or clip art afterwards. But sometimes, like today, I know I have to try to draw what I see. It was a fun challenge today to see if I could draw the image of the father/son from memory without any props, and then I played with the photo tools in Word to edit the photo of the the drawing. I tried to match the image I saw/felt that initially inspired me.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That brings up an interesting point. I think I tend to see photos as visual metaphors that fill in gaps in what I have written, or serve to express what I can’t quite capture with words. One of the things that I found so striking about your post is how seamlessly the two different methods you used complement each other to strengthen your message. Your compassion is very evident, shining throughout your post.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. That brings up an interesting point. I think I tend to see photos as visual metaphors that fill in gaps in what I have written or serve to express what I can’t quite capture in words. What I found so striking in your post is how seamlessly the two methods you use, visual and verbal, complement each other to strengthen your message. Your compassion is evident and shines through your post.

        Like

  9. Beautiful poem, Carol and such an important message. May we all remember to stop jumping to conclusions on first appearances! I love the drawing – it almost looks like it is on sand? What material is it on?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your lovely comments, Annika. ❤

      The image was originally just a drawing I did in my sketchbook. I have to photograph drawings in order to upload them, and of course, it's always tricky. I often need to use the picture editing tools in Word to adjust contrast/brightness to make photos to look more like the original drawing. This time, I played with "Artistic Effects" in Word and posted the result. I just tried to replicate it, and oddly, discovered a totally different result!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your thoughtful insights, Michael. As you point out, it’s not easy to see connections across differences in the best of times. And these are not the best of times….

      Like

  11. In the end, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, black or white, Christian or Muslin, etc., we all want the same things that are important; such as the people we love to be safe and happy. It is a shame we have to focus on our differences instead of what we have in common. It really shouldn’t be as complicated as it is. Like you said, we’re not that different. Take care Carol! Bob

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I hate that anyone is judged by their physical appearance or age or ethnicity or whatever. I am very tall and dress the way I like which doesn’t appeal to everyone, and I hate that I seldom, if EVER go anywhere that I’m stared at and hear muffled voices say, “look how tall she is.” I even had a lady, a complete stranger, walk up to me in a department store years ago and say with disdain, “You’re very tall.” What? Did she think I didn’t know that? Or was I supposed to apologize for being tall? I just don’t know why people just can’t accept others for what they are even if they disagree with them about things or they are differrent in some way. Thanks for you lovely and compassionate post, Carol. Love, N 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh Natalie, I love your stories. As a child, I felt “tall” when I was surrounded by my Ojibwe cousins, but 5′ 4″ is not really very tall these days. I send my love and thanks for your comments, dear friend. ❤

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      1. Thanks Carol. My mom was as tall as you and she thought she was tall too. I’m just and inch short of 6 feet, and most shoes put me at or over 6 feet and the way
        I wear my hair adds another inch or two. So I’m a big girl for sure❤️😊

        Liked by 1 person

  14. To look beyond the superficial …not really knowing if that person was looking beyond your appearance as well. I suspect that if he felt about his children as I do, he was too busy shining his positive love and energy on his offspring to even care. I think I would enjoy sitting next to you on the bus my blogging sister. I envision a sunny day, big glass windows, the air is dry with the hum of the busses engine in the background. We wouldn’t even have to talk:) God Bless You Carol

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m always grateful when you visit and share your thoughtful insights, Ray. Thank you for gracing my morning with your lovely comments. I’ll remember your beautiful imagery whenever I ride the bus from now on. Blessings to you, too, dear friend.

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