Space invaders

I get on the bus at American River College, only to be greeted by a cool wall of air that has that all-too-familiar “bus smell” to it. That smell is a mixture of sweat, cigarettes and alcohol, and I hope that it will not stay with me when I get off the bus.

I show my student I.D. to the driver and look to see if my usual seat is still available and sigh with relief that I won’t have to share my seat with anyone. I try to study or take a quick nap, but usually end up staring out the window, trying to avoid eye contact with any person that gets on the bus so that I will not have to give up the seat next to me where my backpack rests. This is when I make the promise to myself to learn how to drive so I can avoid all these people.

But as I look around the bus, I begin to realize that nobody else looks happy to be there either. My whole perspective starts to change as I actually see the people that are sharing this ride with me. I see people from all walks of life and begin to understand that a great phenomenon is taking place in this limited space. People that would normally not even bother to look at one another are sitting next to each other and some are even sharing some of their life experiences. I am no different than anyone on this bus. We all have somewhere to go and for whatever reason have to take the bus to get there.

Riding the bus is much like getting a glimpse into the life of the kind of people that constitute the majority of the U.S. population. This country prides itself on its freedom and its sense of individuality. But our need for “personal space” puts invisible barriers between people, causing them to live in spheres. These spheres can be filled with loneliness, anger, hatred, misunderstanding and fear. The actions on the bus are insignificant, but on a larger scale are indicative of what is going on in this country.

The simple act of riding the bus in Sacramento is an experience that can brighten one’s life. It can teach a person to stop being afraid of the unknown and to reach out to other people. The short amount of time spent on the bus furthers someone’s understanding of his or her place in the world and makes him see that we are not really all that important in the grand scheme of things.