Last night I had to work late to finish the final edits for our new walking map, so I left the office around 8pm and headed out to my stop.
First of all, dumb me, I wore heels yesterday thinking I didn't have any meetings outside the district, but completely forgot in my new penchant to be more eco-friendly, that when I ride the bus I end up walking about a mile.
I met this woman at the bus stop and we started a conversation. She was asking questions about the MAX and the bus system and I naturally thought she was not from Portland. After several minutes of conversation she actually dumped her story on me.
- She was from Portland
- She works at the Nike Childcare Center
- She used to be a travel agent before evil expedia, travelocity, and priceline took her job
- She just got back from Jamaica
- The trip was not for pleasure but because she had to tie up loose ends because her own father was vacationing there a month ago and was killed in a freak scooter accident
I think my jaw just hung open for like, 2 minutes. I am in PR and people usually are drawn to me with stories . . . but this was like full disclosure on the 6! Like a good PR girl, I easily shifted the conversation back to banal topics, while also assuring her she was strong for getting through this rough period with grace and a calm demeanor. (Obviously, this was a lie.) But I almost felt that openness was cathartic for her. I could feel she needed to let it go--- and in a way--- I was pleased I could provide that for her. We continued chatting as we boarded the bus and when I got up for my stop I told her to stay positive because with positive thoughts comes a positive life, and she told me, "Thank you for listening to me." It made my heart feel a little better in the end.
Sometimes I think in the wake of my crazy, work-filled life I forget to listen. I guess it took a grief-stricken woman in need of an outlet to show me how to be a better listener, if only for 15 minutes.
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