Five scenarios

Whenever I go to get on the trolley I wonder what I am going to do to pass the time. Should I observe the people, meet somebody new, look out the window, do homework, or maybe even write in one of my stories? There are so many different things to do every day. There are so many things that need to be done so how should I use the thirty minutes it takes to get to my stop?

First scenario... observation
I look around and notice a person has a thumb brace but uses that hand to walk with his cane. I can only imagine how hard that would be to do without the use of a thumb. I then look around again and see a person standing in the back of the trolley car even though there are plenty of open seats and he has been there for several stops. I wonder why he chooses to stand when he can sit. This is where I make an observation that most people will choose to sit instead of stand even if they get off a stop after they get on. Is it laziness? It could be...

Second scenario... meet somebody new
I could turn in any direction in the trolley and meet somebody new. It is probable that I have never even seen them before. I could easily take off my headphones and say hello. It's the word that starts it all. Hello, what is your story on the trolley today? I could tell the man with the cane (who, by the way, looks young to be needing a cane) that he has a nice cane and that I really like the dark wood. I could talk to the lonely looking woman with the shopping bags. I think I will say hello to the man sitting across from me wearing the scrubs. He looks tired. His name is Peter. He was very nice and pleasant to talk to. He is on his way to work from school. He wants to be a doctor so he can help people. He wants to help people everywhere and I think that is a great want.

Third scenario... looking out the window
Looking out the window is always nice. There is a lot of nature within the city landscape. Yes even in a big city like San Diego there is nature strewn about. In downtown where there are big buildings and streets and cars, birds fly through the air. They make their nests any place there is room. As the trolley leaves downtown there are more trees and plants and even more birds. As the trolley continues there is the river. Today the river is pretty on the surface. Ducks float on the top of the water like black bouys. Under the surface the pollution makes the river dirty. Random articles of clothing and other materials line the edge of the river. The items are caught in the brush and plants that grow all around. People walk and jog along the paths in exercise clothes and they swing their arms as they walk fast or jog. They don't look at the river or the flowers that grow along the path. They stay focused and look straight ahead.

Fourth scenario... homework
I read the piece Lullaby for my American literature class and think about what we had discussed in class. What did that sentence mean again? Oh yes I remember now that the main character's memories are linked to the landscape. At the end what does the freezing mean? Her husband is dying after a long life.... would that be a good thing to talk about for a paper? I think about all the options I have for my papers in my classes. My attention is drawn away by each stop of the trolley. How far has it gone? I don't want to miss my stop. when I have an idea for my paper I put my book away.

Fifth scenario... writing in a story
I take out my binder and my paper and pencil seem to fuse together as I write. With each jerk of the trolley my pencil jumps across the page. I look around for an idea. I need inspiration for a secondary character. There it is! A man who is wearing a white button down shirt and striped shorts. He is wearing white socks reaching half way up his calves and his sneakers are looking worn down. His blonde hair is messy and he has a soul patch. He can be the cool musician who has some odd quirks. As I write down the idea and start to describe him in the story another bump comes along causing my pencil to jump across the page. Only one stop away from home. Time to put my stuff away.

All the scenarios end in the same way. I will exit the trolley at my stop and walk to where I live. Everybody does something different with their time. I have observed them over the course of riding the trolley which provides much to write about and much to reflect with. One thing the trolley is especially great for is time to think. If riding the trolley, great reflection can be done about whatever is thought about. Of course such thinking is not required to ride only a ticket and perhaps a destination.

Until the next ride,
Alana