Public Transportation: The Good

I spent all of third grade sharing a seat on the school bus with a Jehovah’s Witness.

I wasn’t very assertive. One day she came and sat by me, and said, “Hi, I’m Lisa! What’s you’re name?”

“Angela,” I replied.

“Today is my birthday!” she said with an enormous smile.

“Happy birthday!” I replied. “Are you having a party?”

“Nope!” Enormous smile.

“What about a cake?”

“Nope!” Enormous smile.

“Presents?”

“Nope! I’m a Jehovah Witness. We don’t celebrate birthdays!” Enormous smile.

Blink. Blink, blink.

I was confused. I thought it was sad. But she was older than me, and didn’t have many friends, so we continued to talk about whatever it was 9 year olds talked about in the 80’s. I don’t know, probably something about jelly shoes and which Babysitters Club member we’d most like to be.

The next day she sat by me again. And again the next day, and the next. And before I knew it, I had a permanent seat-buddy. Who didn’t celebrate birthdays, or Christmas, or Easter, and, as a learned during one bewildering school assembly, didn’t participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

At least she was nice.

Coming Up Soon: Keeping An Open Mind During Public Transportation: The Bad. Featuring the time I was propositioned not once, but twice on a bus ride home from college.