So on Friday, I did something I have been meaning to do for the last couple years. One of my friends invited me to go to a musical downtown, and we decided to ride the subway down. I had been talking for the past couple years about trying the subway as a form of transportation to get to a club or show downtown, but have never tried.
My friend picked me up and we headed over to the subway station. In Los Angeles, since the majority of subway stops are underground, you feel a huge rush of wind before the train comes. While my friend and I were walking down, we began to see people running down the stairs. By the time we got to the turn styles, we could feel the rush of wind. We ran down the second set of stairs, I ran on the train, and turn around expecting my friend to be right behind me. But my friend had almost given up on catching the train. She ran down the stairs and got in right before the doors closed. To me, it was one of those times where your life felt surreal or you were in a movie.
The train was pretty full so we stood through the first couple of stops. But we talked the whole way and the time flew by. We grabbed a seat about halfway through the ride. Once we got downtown, we followed my friend's directions to get to the theater. I haven't been downtown that much, but after a few streets, I began to realize we were heading in the wrong direction. We hadn't realized there were two different exits to the subway station, and we had come out of the wrong one for the directions. We turned around and found the theater quickly.
The musical we went to see was "The Scottsboro Boys". It's a musical told in a minstrel fashion about nine African American youths wrongfully convicted of a crime they didn't commit in Alabama during the 1930's. It was a part of our history that I had never heard before, and their story is extremely powerful and convicting. I would suggest looking into their story if you haven't heard of it before! I was so thankful that my friend had invited me to go.
When the show was over, we walked back to the subway station (which was only a couple of blocks from the theater). We got down to the subway platform, we only had to wait a minute or two before the subway arrived. The trip home seemed to fly by. The whole experience was so easy and cheap (only $3 for each of us roundtrip) that I couldn't believe I had never tried it before! It will definitely be a repeat experience for another show!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Thoughts on generosity
So, this past week my church was focusing on the theme of generosity. I considered this almost ironic, as I feel I have been on the receiving end of generosity way more so over this past week than the giving one. I apologize if this post gets a little uncomfortable for you, but I would feel remiss if I do not share these thoughts with you.
One of the things we discussed in small group was how it is often easier to be generous than accept generosity. Even though, if roles were reversed, we would definitely freely give. Yet, I admit I would be the first person to try to work through things on my own rather than accept the generosity of others. My parents raised me to be independent and it is something that I never quite associated with driving a car. But now, even going to the grocery store requires the generosity of others if I plan on coming home with more than a couple bags of groceries. I was reluctant to take up the offers of my generous co-worker who has taken me to and from work almost every day this week. But through them and others, my life has been made easier and for that I am extremely thankful!
We live in amazing communities, surrounded by people who each live lives almost on an individual or small family level . It seems to be that in the worst of times, such as the bombings in Boston or the tornadoes in Oklahoma, communities have come together to move through the disaster. But what if we were to live on that level daily without facing such a disaster? It doesn't take much, just listening a little more to the needs of those who are in our lives. And that can be anyone from your best friends to the people you say "Hi" to when you walk your dog. Sometimes, all people need is just someone to listen to them.
Being generous doesn't take a huge act. It is often the small stuff, the stuff that doesn't make a difference to us, which can mean so much to someone else. Please, take it from someone who knows! The rides I am sure do not mean much to my friends, but they mean the world to me. They are allowing me to live a fuller life! What small generous thing could you do for someone else today?
One of the things we discussed in small group was how it is often easier to be generous than accept generosity. Even though, if roles were reversed, we would definitely freely give. Yet, I admit I would be the first person to try to work through things on my own rather than accept the generosity of others. My parents raised me to be independent and it is something that I never quite associated with driving a car. But now, even going to the grocery store requires the generosity of others if I plan on coming home with more than a couple bags of groceries. I was reluctant to take up the offers of my generous co-worker who has taken me to and from work almost every day this week. But through them and others, my life has been made easier and for that I am extremely thankful!
We live in amazing communities, surrounded by people who each live lives almost on an individual or small family level . It seems to be that in the worst of times, such as the bombings in Boston or the tornadoes in Oklahoma, communities have come together to move through the disaster. But what if we were to live on that level daily without facing such a disaster? It doesn't take much, just listening a little more to the needs of those who are in our lives. And that can be anyone from your best friends to the people you say "Hi" to when you walk your dog. Sometimes, all people need is just someone to listen to them.
Being generous doesn't take a huge act. It is often the small stuff, the stuff that doesn't make a difference to us, which can mean so much to someone else. Please, take it from someone who knows! The rides I am sure do not mean much to my friends, but they mean the world to me. They are allowing me to live a fuller life! What small generous thing could you do for someone else today?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thoughts from Week One
This past week, the weather has been pretty close to perfect. Nice and sunny, with at least a little bit of breeze every day. But it was wonderful when waiting for bus connections or walking places. Thanks to my pedometer, I learned that I walk more last week than any week prior in the last three months! Which is definitely a good thing. But it is awesome to enjoy the weather while walking each day.
Usually between the change in buses going home, I am the only one waiting for the second bus. On one of the days this week, I chatted for a little while with the second bus driver while he was taking his break. He told me that he used to own his own business for a number of years before the market went down. So he has been driving buses for the last five years or so. He told me it wasn't an easy adjustment to working for another person and not himself. It was warm outside and he offered me a seat on the bus. But since I had been sitting all day, I wanted to stand and enjoy the sun a little longer. (Usually it is freezing on the commuter buses - one of the other bus drivers said she said she kept the temp at 65 degrees!) The bus driver said that someone had given him a couple of energy drinks at the beginning of the day and offered me one. I told him thank you but I didn't think I really needed the additional energy that day.
On the same day, there is a stop around my old workplace. One of the guys who got on at the stop noticed that one of the regulars was rushing across the street right as the bus driver was about to start driving. "Wait for Esperanza" he said. She came on and joked with the bus driver and everyone else on the bus laughed. This particular bus of people really knows each other and there is totally a sense of community with them. It was very cool to experience it when some of the other bus rides are full of people listening to their music, sleeping or just full of people not talking to each other.
Many times during the bus rides and walks to the metro station, I pass over the Los Angeles River. For those of you not as familiar with Los Angeles, the "river" for most of its length is between six to twenty feet across with high walls in the off chance that there is rain. By where I live, it is closer to two or three feet across on most days. Some days there is barely a trickle and others it is fairly full. Being from the Midwest, I laughed the first time I saw it and still have trouble acknowledging this as a river.
All in all, I am extremely thankful for all those who gave me rides this week! My co-worker was extremely generous and let me sleep in a little more a bunch of mornings this past week. My friends have provided me with rides to a few different parties, diners and the gym. And also was able to see "Star Trek Into Darkness" twice this weekend!! And yes, it is that good!
Usually between the change in buses going home, I am the only one waiting for the second bus. On one of the days this week, I chatted for a little while with the second bus driver while he was taking his break. He told me that he used to own his own business for a number of years before the market went down. So he has been driving buses for the last five years or so. He told me it wasn't an easy adjustment to working for another person and not himself. It was warm outside and he offered me a seat on the bus. But since I had been sitting all day, I wanted to stand and enjoy the sun a little longer. (Usually it is freezing on the commuter buses - one of the other bus drivers said she said she kept the temp at 65 degrees!) The bus driver said that someone had given him a couple of energy drinks at the beginning of the day and offered me one. I told him thank you but I didn't think I really needed the additional energy that day.
On the same day, there is a stop around my old workplace. One of the guys who got on at the stop noticed that one of the regulars was rushing across the street right as the bus driver was about to start driving. "Wait for Esperanza" he said. She came on and joked with the bus driver and everyone else on the bus laughed. This particular bus of people really knows each other and there is totally a sense of community with them. It was very cool to experience it when some of the other bus rides are full of people listening to their music, sleeping or just full of people not talking to each other.
Many times during the bus rides and walks to the metro station, I pass over the Los Angeles River. For those of you not as familiar with Los Angeles, the "river" for most of its length is between six to twenty feet across with high walls in the off chance that there is rain. By where I live, it is closer to two or three feet across on most days. Some days there is barely a trickle and others it is fairly full. Being from the Midwest, I laughed the first time I saw it and still have trouble acknowledging this as a river.
All in all, I am extremely thankful for all those who gave me rides this week! My co-worker was extremely generous and let me sleep in a little more a bunch of mornings this past week. My friends have provided me with rides to a few different parties, diners and the gym. And also was able to see "Star Trek Into Darkness" twice this weekend!! And yes, it is that good!
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Start of the Adventure
It's been a number of years since the last time I blogged, so please forgive any format errors and such!
I recently had to switch some medications, and one of the precautions the doctor strongly suggested I take was to not drive during this medication switch. With living in Los Angeles, a city where everyone drives and the drive to work being over 20 miles, my first thought was to despair. But then through a study we were doing at church, I came to the realization that my despair would negatively impact the ones I love. So, I am determined to look at this as a challenge and an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone of using my car to get everywhere.
It's been almost a week so far (I know I am behind in starting this blog). It's been pretty good so far. I am blessed by having a gracious co-worker who is willing to change her schedule to take me to and from work. And when she has plans, I am also blessed by the fact that the Los Angeles public transportation works very well for me. With knowing I would be having a period of not driving, I did a bit of research and got a bus pass before I switched the medications. Even though my place and my work are more than twenty miles apart, I am able to catch just two commuter express buses to get to work. The other amazing thing is I can walk about a mile and get to the subway system which will get me to church. I also know I am extremely fortunate to have friends who are willing to make sacrifices and take me to the other places I can't walk to.
I plan to use this blog to express thoughts and experiences on my adventure in not driving for a period of time. I thank you for reading and following me on this journey.
I recently had to switch some medications, and one of the precautions the doctor strongly suggested I take was to not drive during this medication switch. With living in Los Angeles, a city where everyone drives and the drive to work being over 20 miles, my first thought was to despair. But then through a study we were doing at church, I came to the realization that my despair would negatively impact the ones I love. So, I am determined to look at this as a challenge and an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone of using my car to get everywhere.
It's been almost a week so far (I know I am behind in starting this blog). It's been pretty good so far. I am blessed by having a gracious co-worker who is willing to change her schedule to take me to and from work. And when she has plans, I am also blessed by the fact that the Los Angeles public transportation works very well for me. With knowing I would be having a period of not driving, I did a bit of research and got a bus pass before I switched the medications. Even though my place and my work are more than twenty miles apart, I am able to catch just two commuter express buses to get to work. The other amazing thing is I can walk about a mile and get to the subway system which will get me to church. I also know I am extremely fortunate to have friends who are willing to make sacrifices and take me to the other places I can't walk to.
I plan to use this blog to express thoughts and experiences on my adventure in not driving for a period of time. I thank you for reading and following me on this journey.
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