Inspiration

This morning on the bus I saw my friend whose daughter lost her battle against terminal brain cancer. She was sad but bolstered by her found memories of her daughter, the fact that the family was there with her when she passed and that she is no longer suffering. As usual, my friend was an inspiration to me, even as they were on the way to a doctor's appointment to follow up on another daughter's brain tumor, to confirm that it is not cancerous as well. To look at the light in the mother's eyes and the beauty of her daughter, you would never know that they are dealing with such illness and sadness. Yet their resiliency reminds me to focus on the things we all have to be thankful for, despite our current circumstances or any challenges we may face. This family has certainly inspired me. If I were not riding the bus, I may have never met them, and for that I am thankful.

Always Learning

When you are carless and carefree, it doesn't mean that you must be an island. In addition to the wonderful support of family, friends and coworkers, we have had much assistance along the way. Especially when it comes to our other modes of transportation (biking and walking) we have made friends that have helped us probably more than they realize.
For instance, this past summer we were biking to many destinations throughout the neighborhood; we would bike for pleasure and purpose to the store, library and to the park. When we started out, our bikes were not in the best shape, so thanks to our friend Dan at the Nashville Bicycle Lounge we were able to get on the road safely. He helped to assess our bikes, made the needed repairs and offered advice to help us get the most out of this alternate form of transportation. By the way, Dan told us he hasn't owned a car for years; he bikes or walks virtually everywhere he needs or wants to be. He gets it!
Then last week in my quest for the best walking shoe, I ventured into The Walking Company in the Green Hills Mall. Joshua, the manager there was as enthusiastic about great walking shoes as I am about walking! I received an education about the history of clogs and the difference between the Dansko shoes I went in looking for and the original clogs called Sanita. As it turns out, the original Danish clogs (since 1907) are Sanitas; Dansko simply imported them to the USA under the Dansko name brand. Then, for many years Sanita manufactured clogs for Dansko. The Sanita and Dansko relationship ended in the Fall 2007. Since then, all Sanita manufactured products sold in the USA have been sold exclusively under the Sanita brand. Who knew? Thanks to Joshua, now I do and thought you would like to know, also! I tried on both shoes and must admit, the Sanita story and fit suited me better than Dansko. I was most impressed that Joshua not only helped me understand why these shoes would improve my gait, but taught me the history of each shoe company that helped me align my purchase with my priorities. Again, someone who 'gets it'!
Last but not least, a huge thank you to all of our friends, family and coworkers who have offered us a lift as we walk by. We are learning that although we can thrive and not drive, when offered a ride it's okay to graciously accept. I must admit, there have been occasions where I resented being offered a ride, seeing it as pity instead of compassion. But I am learning to appreciate the kindness of others without imputing motives. So, whether you have offered us a ride and we accepted or declined, we thank you. This has been and will continue to be a learning process.

Which Route to Take?

Often people who are considering trying the bus for the first time admit that they wouldn't know which bus to take, or where to find the bus stop closest to their home or destination. There is a handy tool on the MTA website called Trip Planner that uses Google Maps to help you plan your bus trip. Just as you would plan a trip by car, just  enter the starting location and destination, and then either plan according to departure or arrival time. In other words, if you need to arrive at your destination at a certain time, you would be able to see what time you would need to be at the initial bus stop, and still have enough time for a bus transfer if needed. Most find it surprising that even with a transfer, the round trip takes less time and hassle than originally thought.
Unfortunately, today we are attending a funeral to support a dear friend who lost her son in a tragic house fire. This family has inspired us by their strength and strong faith during a time of material and family loss. We want to be there to support them as their friendship has supported us through difficult times. Since the location of the funeral is one we have not traveled by bus before, I just went on the MTA website and logged in the locations and times, and we have our round trip planned. Even during this time of grief and uncertainty, we find a little comfort in knowing which route to take.

Parking Peace

The news featured a story about the parking prices being charged to attend a benefit concert downtown. The outrage was over having to spend more on special event day parking when the point of the concert is to raise money for flood victims.My question is: Why be mad at Central Parking for charging special event prices for a benefit concert? The answer: Take the bus to the concert and help MTA with their flood recovery efforts as well!  That will mean giving to the Nashville community twice and avoiding the hassle and cost of parking. It's like giving and receiving all at once! 'Tis the season...

To the Airport...

Today wraps up a successful bus trip to and from Nashville International Airport. We went to the there to pick up a rental car for travel to a convention out of town. We caught the number 18 bus at the depot and arrived at the airport in 20 minutes. Upon returning the car, we waited for the bus for a few minutes in a well lit, clean and heated room. The airport bus takes us straight to the depot to catch the bus that will take us home. This could not have been easier; why didn't we think of this before? How much money and time have we spent trying to find a parking space and make our flight? And it always makes me mad to have to pay the outrageous parking fees when I return! Interesting that on both bus rides to and from the airport the buses were empty except for our family and one other passenger. This is one of the best kept and inexpensive secrets in Nashville. The cost of round trip tickets to and from the airport on the bus is cheaper than airport parking for a day! Something to remember the next time you travel....

Bus Passes and Nashville History

An amazing, exciting thing happened at University School of Nashville yesterday. The school administrators agreed to give each employee (200 plus) all day bus passes as gifts! The Director of the school is offering everyone the challenge and opportunity to save on gas and take advantage of a public service many have never tried before! Maybe we will start a trend where local schools and businesses challenge their employees to improve their health (by walking to the bus) and help the environment. When we called the MTA staff to assist us with our rush order (a 24 hour turnaround) they were happy to help.

Imagine my excitement as I ran out today to catch the bus to the depot and pick up the passes. I was so excited, that I forgot my OWN bus pass! How ironic to be taking the bus to pick up passes as gifts to others and in need of a pass myself! Thankfully, the driver knows me well and allowed me to ride to the depot. The passes were there and ready as promised, along with informational brochures and schedules to assist our coworkers who may be riding for the first time.

On the way back to school, I had the opportunity to receive an interesting Nashville history lesson. A gentleman who is a Korean war veteran asked me if I was a native to Nashville. When I told him I was originally from Ohio, he replied, 'Me, too! I knew you looked familiar!' as if everyone from Ohio knows one another. Actually he had family from Ohio, but was reared here in Nashville. Well as the story progressed, he told me that Charlotte Pike used to be called Cedar Rd. and he remembered traveling it as a boy. He also admitted his father was a bootlegger, and had an interesting way of transporting his goods. His father would load up various fresh vegetable produce for sale and position them on the top portion of a wagon. Underneath the produce is where the white lightning was stashed. The gentleman I was speaking to and his cousin would haul the wagon from South Nashville down then Cedar (Charlotte) several miles. Along the way, they would sell their produce to various customers and deliver the white lightning to its final destination. When I asked him how they pulled their wagon, he said incredulously, 'Well, by horse, of course!'

I was quietly amused by the irony that I was bringing bus passes to people who are considering ditching their vehicles for a day to try public transportation, and at the same time talking to a man who remembers traveling the same routes using a horse drawn wagon! Transportation has come a long way, but it's still about getting safely from one place to another. We are challenging people to consider another means of accomplishing that goal. Today, I learned a bit about Nashville history and made a new friend, something I probably would not have done if I hadn't taken the bus today. I hope my coworkers will likewise have pleasant experiences when they go on their bus adventures. Happy travels...

Saturday Morning

As I boarded the bus this Saturday morning at 7:00, I looked around at all of the people who are riding to their various destinations while most people are still asleep. As I said my usual, 'Good Morning!' I didn't get much response; it's early and it's Saturday. But I saw people who work six, sometimes seven, days a week to support their families, but also to provide the kind of services that many take for granted. For instance, the woman who rides everyday and does laundry at one of Nashville's busiest downtown hotels, or the  woman who is a seamstress in Green Hills, or the gentleman who works overtime on the weekends doing janitorial work at Vanderbilt University. The people who benefit from these services are likely not thinking about the fact that these workers are up early on Saturday morning, riding the bus to provide the services they may take for granted. And yet, here we all are, on our way, talking, laughing and sharing a few moments together before we depart to care for our various duties.
As I head to my destination, I notice who else is out and about so early on a Saturday morning: young Vanderbilt students either out for an early morning run, or at Starbucks with books and laptops preparing for upcoming exams. I'm on my way to assist and supervise high school students as they take college entrance exams. As I walk from the bus stop, I can't help but think of the contrasting reasons for being out on this rainy Saturday morning for these groups of people, workers in the service industry and students. These diligent and steady workers are providing for their families, and providing needed services many of us take for granted. The hard working and focused students are preparing for their futures, and will likely become the recipients of those services. Each group needs the other, so we are all up early together to get to our various destinations, whether our goals are short or long range. Isn't it funny how sometimes we can be so focused on our own journey, that we don't think about where the other person is headed or where they have been?
After I arrived, a coworker's husband who was also assisting the students turned to me and asked, 'Did you take the bus here this morning?' to which I answered, 'Of course!'