The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round…

No work today, so no commute. (Woot, woot.) Yet the wheels on the bus still go round and round. No, not Gilbert…he’s happily hibernating in the garage for the weekend. Also, he’s not a bus. But seriously, moving beyond the literal, the wheels on the bus continue to turn. In fact, they’re always turning…commuting between point A and point B merely being incidental to life in transit. Since I’m actually staying in one place today, I have a little time to contemplate this not so original concept.

In transit, a definition, please:  en route, on the journey, on the way, on the road. The phrase transcends both time and geography, for people and life are constantly “in transit,” moving from one state of being and circumstances to the next. From Winter to Spring to Summer to Fall. From diapers to acne to the “real world” to canes—and maybe even back to diapers again. From good times to not so good times. From abundance to scarcity. And so on. The wheels continue to turn. Everything, transcendental, evolving, continues to change, continues to transition. Life in transit.

This reality is both exciting and terrifying. Venturing into uncharted territory, learning new things, meeting new people, the road ahead presents countless, wonderful experiences and opportunities. Simultaneously, however, it also reveals pot holes, traffic jams, speed bumps, red lights, missed exits, and the like. Perhaps even more unsettling, it entails a great deal of ambiguity. Much of the time, the driver honestly doesn’t know what will happen if she goes right or left or stays the present course. Will he run out of gas? Will she get lost? Will he be able to hold his bladder until the next rest stop?

Though the answers to these questions are inevitably elusive, this does not mean that life in transit is completely devoid of direction or agency. After all, the driver does have the advantage of maps, GPS, and the advice of other drivers and his shotgun to inform his decisions. Moreover, she also has prior experience on the road, since she is obviously in transit from somewhere. This knowledge serves as another resource to navigate the road ahead, and as a reminder that in spite of any future roadblocks, the wheels on the bus will continue to go round and round.

That being said, life in transit is ultimately a brilliant adventure. So, sit back, relax, fasten your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride.

Oh the places you'll go...

Oh, the places you’ll go!

 There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored.

There are games to be won.

When Dr. Seuss described the places I’d go, I didn’t exactly expect that to translate into a three-hour round-trip to and from work each day. Not to mention all the mileage I cover during working hours trying to track down clients. Seriously. I feel betrayed.

As far as fun goes…well let’s just say it hasn’t gone as far as I’ve gone in my car over the last five months. For real. Since I started working back in July, Gilbert has logged over 20,000 miles. (My car’s name is Gilbert, by the way.) I know. It’s insane. But getting back to fun, there is the occasional exception. Like when I hit a string of green traffic lights, or when the driver in the next lane actually lets me move over after I put my turn signal on. In general though, spending about 25+ hours on the road every week is not exactly what you’d call fun. Again, Dr. Seuss’s predictions fall short.

However, to his credit, the good doctor’s clairvoyance regarding the “points to be scored” isn’t completely inaccurate. Indeed, I have definitely scored a lot of points. Namely, the ones that I’ve accumulated on my Visa for gas expenditures (most of which I do not get reimbursed for). Even if that’s not exactly what the Seussmister meant by that statement, they’re points nonetheless. The gas tank is half full.