Time Machine: First Time Taking the Bus

Intro: For this action project 2 I typed a script about a memory that defined me who I am now. This memory allowed me to overcome my fear of taking the bus alone with other people I did not know or talked to. What I am most proud of is overcoming the fear I thought I would never overcome. What I learned was maybe being with a friend or a parent can make you always feel better than being alone on a bus ride to school alone. The most challenging part is still taking bus by myself and able to push out the feeling of being uncomfortable and nervous.

SCHWEN, Daniel. 2008 Cta Bus Line 56; Internet: Wikicommons

A Monday morning, I was heading to my new school, GCE. I got on a crowded bus that smelled like air freshener. That was my first time being alone on the bus with a lot of random people that I did not know. This made me feel awkward and very uncomfortable. I felt pressured by people that were looking at me up and down.It made me feel weird. I can feel their eyes looking at me as I walked through the aisle of the bus to take a seat. Some people were listening to loud music, playing candy crush,reading a book or loudly talking to their friend or partner. On my way to school the only thing that made me feel better was listening to my own loud music. That was the only thing that distracted my feelings of being awkward and uncomfortable. My music also made me forget that people were looking at me.

As I saw my stop at, North/Clybourn I got very excited and very happy. I headed to school and went to classes with people that I still didn’t know that well. I met new friends and teachers that were very kind and very nice. As school was almost ending I felt like calling my parents to come and pick me up, but that would be too much work for my parents. Anyways, I wanted to leave as soon as possible to go home and relax. Because I had a very good day at school. I forgot about how overwhelmed I was going to be on the bus ride home.

I was anxious waiting at the bus stop with other people. As the bus came, I felt a relief but then realized I had to deal with everything over again. There were people looking at me a certain way and there were people that smelled like cigarettes and sweat. There were people that talked to themselves, which was weird and scary. All I wanted to do was to go home safe and sound so I can relax. But then I remembered I still had to take the bus the next day and the day after. My life was still not finished.

Sometimes on my way to school I still feel this way but I just insert my earbuds and jam to music on the bus as if I am in my own world. Now when I see Ventra cards, I think about  the very first day I took the bus by myself. This memory will always stay in my head because I still take the bus and everytime I do, It just reminds me of how uncomfortable I was and nervous to be alone. Taking the bus has allowed me to overcome my fears of being surrounded by people that I don’t know or talk to.