An Eventful Day

What an eventful day! First of all I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for a new ad campaign for MTA. They are doing rider profiles that will be featured in various ads in City Paper and Nashville Scene among other locations. I am excited to be a part of the campaign to expand bus ridership in Nashville.

Well, I should have known it would be an adventure when I left my exam study session at Belmont to head to the Metro Courthouse for the photo shoot. I thought I was leaving in plenty of time at 11:50 to arrive downtown by about 12:20. Well, the bus needed to stop for several passengers and traffic was terrible. So, when I reached security at the Courthouse, I was already a little late for my 12:30 appointment. I had been told to bring as few things with me as possible so as not to be delayed by security, so I left my huge backpack at Belmont and only brought my lunch bag and a few essentials. What I had forgotten is that in my lunch bag is my pretty pink Pampered Chef knife that I carry to cut my food. Well, the Courthouse security personnel were all over it! When I tried to explain that it was just for food and asked if they could just hold it until I return shortly, they just informed me that my only option was to take it back out to my car! Well, that wasn't an option for me since I had ridden the bus there to do a photo shoot about riding the bus! So I had my $15 dollar knife confiscated. Oh well, the photo shoot was fun, but you know I asked again on my way out could I have my knife back! No success.

Then, later tonight on my way home from Belmont, I stopped to pick up a few things from Trader Joe's. As I walked from there to the bus stop at Hillsboro High School, I noticed a woman I've seen on the bus also walking to the stop, but she was struggling with several (eight, to be exact) bags of groceries. She is very small, about 5 feet tall and usually has several bags each time I see her. But tonight, she clearly needed help. So, together we carried the bags to the bus, for which she was very grateful and shared with me the sales and specials she had taken advantage of along the way. Then a little further on our way downtown, my 'spirit friend' boarded the bus. She and I share scriptures and encouragement each time we see each other. I hadn't seen her in awhile and it was good to catch up and know that she's doing well. After we had reached the depot and I was boarding the bus headed home, I saw my neighbor that I've been mentoring and tutoring as she reaches her goal of completing her high school diploma. She is closer than ever to realizing her dream of being able to enroll in college courses. We had the chance to talk over a couple of options she has as she approaches her testing requirements. It was nice to hear her express her determination and to be able to encourage her to keep at it.

I came home wondering what I would do without the opportunity to reach out to people that I meet on the bus. I don't think that life would not be near as eventful or rich.