I recently started a new job in downtown Madison. It is a bustling area–traffic can be nasty and parking is at a premium on the relatively tiny isthmus between two lakes that constitutes the downtown area.
Many years, children and husbands ago, I took the bus daily to the downtown office where I was the ‘new business girl’ for a now-defunct life insurance company. This was before email, voicemail or personal computers; a time when companies had positions with the word ‘girl’ in them–positions that did not pay enough for the ‘girls’ to afford parking anywhere near the building. At that stage of life I had not yet gotten my BBA, and my livelihood was dependent upon my (really fast) typing skills, and (very possibly) on my youthful naivety.
But, I digress. After a decades-long absence, I am once again relying on Madison Metro to get to and from work. I have come to enjoy the opportunity to decompress before and after work, while letting the bus driver wrangle with the traffic.
It can be uncomfortable. Many of my fellow passengers do not easily fit within the confines of an individual bus seat, and my morning bus often gets crowded. As a result, it is not uncommon to find myself thigh-to-thigh and shoulder-to-shoulder with a perfect stranger, with the backside of yet another (standing) stranger mere inches from my face. Personal space is at a premium, especially now that we are getting into the time of year that necessitates heavy coats.
Some people read, some people stare out the window, but most people stare at their phones. I play Sudoku on my phone. This is not as benign as it sounds. Over the years, I have had stretches of time where I have had an unhealthy addition to Sudoku–often foregoing sleep and other obligations to play into the wee hours. The bus ride gives me the opportunity to indulge in my obsession, guilt-free, if only for the duration of the ride. So far, I have only missed my stop once while playing.
We shall see if I continue my bus adventures throughout the wintery months ahead. Unlike my younger self, I now have the means to drive and park downtown every day should I chose to do so. But for now, I am enjoying the relatively stress-free ride, and I am determined to improve my Sudoku personal best.