Waiting For The Bus

I write this as I stare blankly at the road, waiting for the familiar groan and puff as the bus comes up the hill. The wind blows on my face, but my scarf protects me well. Next to me is a woman, looking this way and that, anxious for the bus to get here. I just sit there, and do what I like doing, think.

We all have those times when we have a spare moment just to think. Usually it is forced upon us. I think it is ironic that however organised we are, there are still gaps in our timetables. So much so that a good organiser doesn't try and fill these, but they work around them. Some scientist has probably proven that if we didn't have those small times of doing nothing, we would not function properly, it acts as a buffer for all the information we get during the day.

When we have these spare moments though, what are we thinking? It's easy to complain, like the bus is late, or to worry about what will happen. But why don't we appreciate it more? Why don't we take it as a blessing?




That was what I wrote when I waited for the bus.

But something is wrong with that... While I wrote that on my iPod, I was cutting myself from everyone else. That woman, why didn't I just have a nice conversation? She might have needed a smile, something to lighten her day, but all she got from me was a blank look as I stared at my iPod. I think and like to encourage people, but do I ever do it in real life? To people I know, yes. But it takes more courage to just be that little more nicer to that stranger you have never met. And, I am never courageous enough.

I want to be able to talk to people, I am always amazed at my friends who will start up a conversation with anyone. I don't mind talking to people, but it will never be me who starts the conversation. I usually want to talk to someone, but never get the courage to speak, so I just wait until they say something to me.

This kind of thing can be seen as personality and all that, but from a different angle, it is just plain selfishness. For me, I don't want to put myself out on the line, maybe to get rejected, I don't want to sacrifice anything, by talking to a stranger. For two strangers to talk, one usually has to step out of their comfort zone. Next time, I hope I can remember that and be that stranger.

So, how was your day?

Wasting our breath

'Two young fish were swimming along, chatting about life when they bumped into a older fish. He said to them "The water is so nice today, isn't it?". The two young fish were shocked, and replied, "What the hell is water!".'

So many people today either don't know, or don't want to know, what they are swimming in. Living life on the surface. Imagine what those young fish were talking about at first. "The weather is nice", or "I need to get that new fashion item!".

So often we just skim across the surface of anything that we don't want to know. We just don't care! Instead, we put all our effort in figuring out things that are really pointless in the end. Like our faces. We learn to beautify our faces in any way possible, spending large amounts of money, but in the end, it gets washed away, and you become who you were anyway.

Why are wasting our breath, money, our whole life, on things that won't matter anyway? Why don't we start doing something that does have worth, that will make a difference? Just small things like, spending time with God instead of watching some TV, or donating money to charity instead of buying a coffee.

Don't waste your life just swimming on the surface. Go deeper. Use your breath for something useful.

I don't care

I don't care about what you say, I don't care about what happens next, I don't care that I have something better to do, I just DON'T CARE.

I thought it was a good mindset to have. Not to care about anything, just to live my life without caring what others think, being able to do what I want because no one could make me care less. Wouldn't that be the perfect life?

At first I thought so too. My enemies' insults were passed away with a simple "I don't care what you think" cut down. I chose what happened in my life and made sure no one even thought of giving me advice because I just didn't care. I could stop a argument by saying "I don't care", and stop listening. All these things I did for a while, with great success. I got to live my life hassle free! Doing what I wanted, without the annoyance of caring about what others thought.

Luckily, I noticed soon enough that the way I was headed was just a down hill slippery slope. If I didn't care what others thought, I would have to live my life with no advice. Choosing my own paths in life might be fun for awhile, but it is hard to choose the right one if you haven't looked at all the options by asking other people! Also, sometimes, when having an argument with someone, you might actually be in the wrong (I know, hard to believe!). If you didn't care about what others thought, you would be stuck with the wrong idea forever, eventually making a fool out of yourself, or something even worse.

It is a hard habit to get out of, not caring. But it is possible to work through. I am starting today, just by listening to others, and understanding their point of view. I hope that I will not fall into the trap of not caring again, however criticising or annoying another persons views may be. God always cares for other people and their opinions, and I should too.

treebytheriver