When i was thirteen i was taking a bus from Downtown Pittsburgh to Cranberry township, (40 minute bus ride). I was quite observant at the time, being young and out of my element my senses were sharp. Along the way, an oddly looking fellow had payed his way onto the bus. His presence and appearance, surely transformed the otherwise normal, Norman Rockwell painting of bus life, into a Tim burton movie. Out of all of the possible occupancies, he decided to plug himself next to me.I did not think to poorly on my lottery win, but i must admit, i was hoping his stop was soon near. Something strange about this man struck my core. I was overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity. A stinch began to linger, one so putrid, it would make stink jealous. Using my side view mirrors, i further observed the primate while avoiding hanging a banana above my head.
The tattered rags which he passed for clothing were finely caked in a thousand stories of dirt, grime and everything else which gets brushed into the city gutters. There were no identifiable colors, just a kind of constant black. I could not begin to attempt and gauge his age. Hardship and monotony looks the same on everyone...,old, tired and broken. He may have been young, but stressed to an age far beyond his years. Perhaps, he was an old soldier. Fighting his entire life. Just to hold onto a slight semblance of humanity and this is him, no longer caring. I do not know what his situation was, but at the time i was bursting with both, anxiousness and nausea. I was anxious to reach out and learn a bit of his wisdom. I was nauseous, because he offended me as a human being. As i was breaking with dueling emotions the bus came to a stop. The oddly familiar man stood to his feet and then, apprehensively, he turned to me. this pathetic, dirty, hairy man said to me..."hey Joe, stay focused and you can avoid this....,pride exists only in the company of others" He then exited the bus....that was pretty SNAFU