The Kindness of Strangers

So, I know I am quite a bit overdue in writing this blog entry, but there has been SO MUCH going on that unfortunately, The MUNIverse & Me has taken a back seat...as in the back seat on the bus...you know...the one that's like a long bench seat that is often covered in sunflower seed shells, graffiti, and old chewing gum...yeah, that back seat. It's not for lack of trying either. This work thing just puts a monkey wrench in my creative writing outlet. Ironic that I work at an art school, isn't it? Nothing like working at an art school to have your creative side stifled by work! Just a warning that this post will be all over the place...there's so much to say and so much to show you that I don't know where to start. But I can't blame it all on work. There has been so much going on at home that nearly everything has taken a back seat. I swear there was a week that went by where I couldn't even remember if I had brushed my teeth that week! Yes, I said 'that week'. So if you read my last post about my dog, Beans, you will know who and what has been taking up all of my time. The good news is that Beans is on the mend, and that means that I can get back to blogging! In that post, you will see the donation page that we set up in an effort to raise money for the outrageous veterinary bills that we were slapped with. We managed to raise almost $2,500!! That's approximately 1,250 MUNI trips!!

Why, oh why, didn't I ever follow my 6 year old dream of becoming a veterinarian? Oh, that's right...I went to college and my 20 year old dream of becoming a businesswoman threw that 6 year old dream down a flight of stairs and locked her in the closet! I blame it all on the 1988 film, 'Working Girl', starring Melanie Griffith...when she still looked like Melanie Griffith and could actually land a leading man like Harrison Ford. She made the working world look so glamourous...glamourous enough to put an extra 'u' in the word, "glamourous"...you know, like the Europeans do... I watched that movie and dreamed of commuting to work when I was an adult...living in the city, riding the train with my briefcase and suits with big shoulder pads...Now she looks like she freebases crack off of a hot waffle iron...hence the sweaty face and over-inflated lips! And my commute to work will likely encounter someone on the train freebasing off of a hot waffle iron...but I digress...back to our fund raising page..We were completely overwhelmed and quite frankly shocked at the amount of money we were able to raise in such a short time. It amazes me that complete strangers will dig deep in their pockets and go out of their way to help a dog they have never met, but other complete strangers won't give up their seat on a bus to a fragile, elderly, blind woman with a cane! I mean, I get it...I love dogs WAY more than people, but I'm not an ass...she's BLIND for crying out loud! She can't even SEE the seat, let alone sit in it! And maybe that's a good thing because she'd probably be more pissed off if she saw WHO was taking up her seat!

So the kindness of strangers has been on my mind lately and I've been more observant of how complete strangers treat each other on MUNI. Now I've been known to get testy if provoked, and if you've read my previous posts you will no doubt know that I'm no angel...not even close. But again, I'm not an ass either. If I see someone with more gray hair than what I have on my head, I get up and offer them a seat. If I see a pregnant woman or a woman holding a baby, I get up. I might even get up and offer my seat up if I see a cute couple who want to sit next to each other. But not some people. They play ignorant to the big blue sign over their head that reads "Under law, these seats must be vacated for elderly or handicapped persons." "Under law"...hmmm...when was the last time the kid with his sagging pants, loud music, neck tattoos, and bag full of Jack-in-the-Box was arrested for NOT giving up his seat? "Under law"?? Doubt it.

Now there has been kindness spotted on MUNI...like the three people that will help the little Asian woman unload her 37 bags of groceries at her stop, or on the extremely rare occasion, the woman who will dig out change from the bottom of her purse because some complete stranger is 16 cents short on the fare. Yes, I've seen it...but it's rare.

In my attempt to be more observant of people over the past few weeks, I was able to record some epic video for you...sadly, it is NOT the kindness of strangers. The first clip is one of the "regulars" on my MUNI route. Notice that he has his drink in hand, is mumbling something unidentifiable, and is apparently too good to wear shoes...for that reason I call him "Shoeless Joe Jackson". I shot this so that you would get an idea of the people I come into contact with on a daily basis:

 Now while this guy wasn't being rude and was just minding his own business, you still want to avoid eye contact or else a lengthy one sided discussion is sure to ensue.

This next video is typical of a Friday night commute home...apparently, the gentleman (and I use that term loosely) did not appreciate getting jostled on a crowded train. Something tells me that it was NOT his first time on MUNI...something also tells me that he picked that day to go off of his medication. Notice the older man on the right who doesn't flinch, the beeping of the doors that want to close, the giggling teenagers in the background, me saying under my breath "oh, seriously?!", and the woman who busts me taking the video at the end of the clip...*WARNING: This clip is rated "R" for strong language...or "R" for "Really?!?"

Now here is someone that I would definitely give my seat up for...Aunt Bea! Now if you remember, I have mentioned her in a previous post. Not sure of her real name, but our regular bus driver asked me where "Aunt Bea" was one day when she missed the bus. I loved that he called her that! One look and she is definitely "Aunt Bea"...and I love that I was able to capture her putting on her lipstick. The same lipstick that seems to be more on her teeth than her lips! She's sweet though, and I wanted you all to meet her:

Ok, so here's your SAM of the week. I honestly can't tell if he's sleeping, or just pretending not to notice all of the "kindness of strangers" going on around him:

Be kind to each other, give up your seat, and thank you for riding Muni!

Yours Truly