I got off work and was dead tired.  I’d been up since 5 am, caught the 6:30 bus and was at work at 7.  It was now 4:15 pm and I was hoping to catch the 4:35 express home.  I sat down on the bus stop metal bench to wait.  I closed my eyes and started to decompress.  Drifting through thoughts, reliving moments from the day, striving for emptiness.

I felt somebody sit down next to me briefly.  That brief moment of consciousness, coming to the moment in time.  Then the shock of impact.  I opened my eyes and looked down.  A drunk homeless guy had landed his head in my lap.  The greasy hair sitting like a pool.  I didn’t want to touch it.  I didn’t know what to do.  I froze.  I had to do something.  I decided he was probably feeling no pain so I just got up.  His head fell to the bench.  He readjusted himself and started to snore.  He had gotten the better of me.  I was now alert and standing and he was comfortable in his new space.

Ugh, the perfect end to my day.

The bus was crowded.  There was one seat next to the driver in the front.  I started to relax.  A couple of stops later an elderly women got on the bus.  Her umbrella became a weapon.  I was young and she was old.  Get up! Get up!!  I gave her my seat and dangled on the overhead bar.

Home beckoned me.

Ahhh, the joy of the commute.  Such interesting and colorful people.

To sleep, perchance to dream….