Welcome.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Book
  • On Cinema
    • Essays on Film
    • Top Film Lists & Reflections
    • On Terrence Malick
    • Nathan's Thesis
  • Photography
    • Death in Paris
    • Venizia
    • Napoli
    • Havana
    • Roma
    • Seoul
    • Milano
    • Shenzhen
    • Taipei
  • Men I Trust
  • About
  • Press
  • Speeches!
  • Upcoming Shows
  • Films

Hip to be Joyful

12/8/2015

7 Comments

 
Picture
"Alright everyone, this is a 7, we're gonna take the 7 tonight all the way to Rainier Beach, all the way down Rainier. This bus goes as far south as Henderson, number 7 to Henderson, welcome aboard."

Kids pile on at Genessee. "Iss my guy," one of them says. This group is livelier in spirit than the usual teenage crowd; these boys don't have the self-imposed somber. What's most curious to me about kids loving my schtick is that in those moments they're completely on board with something relatively square– I'm not a figure that stands in rebellion to the Big Man, or who oozes hipness or exclusionary cool. I'm just the friendly bus driver, driving around the ghetto being absurdly nice and forgiving. I don't understand it, but I'm grateful. I know these kids won't give me any trouble. They're loud back there, laughing amongst themselves, but then again, so am I.

I reflect on this as I call out the next stop: "let's go to Alaska Street next, Alaska, by the Library, Post Office Services for the Blind; we got the community center on the left, and cultural center, that's on the right side."

At Graham Street a man works his way up to the front. Shortish, bald, oversized black hoodie. I can't quite see his face yet in the dark.
"How's it goin'!"
"I just had to come up here and tell you, you are the, you're the coolest bus driver!"
"Thank you!"
"It reminds me the first time when I first came to Seattle, all the drivers was like you."

I yell thanks to the kids in the back stepping out now. "Have a good one!"

"Hang on," I say, responding to his thought. "They all used to be like this?"
"Yeah, twenty-five years ago, I first came here. They'd greet everyone, say hey, call out everything. I thought it was part o' th' job description. I'm not gettin' off yet." We pull away from the zone.
"Oh that sounds beautiful! Take me back!"
"Dude, no." Not the past, says his voice. The present. "You are just motha-fuckin' killin' it, man! Ah be sittin' back there smiiiilin–" he makes the word elastic, his enthusiasm turning the word to a sound as yet unspoken ever before. I wish I could show you his face, a collection of years beaming as only children know how. "I dunno if you coul' see, but I be sittin' there hearin' you say, 'comin up on the left,' sheeyit. I be smilin' thinkin' this guy is cool as a mothafucka!"

Imagine his downward pump of a fist of excitement, as in, touchdown! I can't help laughing– in embarrassment, in joy, reveling in the anachronistic conflation of his profane purity. Sometimes I wonder how much we could pick up with only the cadence and tone of people's voices. I bet we'd get a lot. It hardly matters what language he's speaking; I know exactly what he means. The baldness of his honest praise humbles me. That he's so exhilarated by simple goodness. It's not his complimenting me that's exciting. It's the fact that we're in the truthful bubble, where we don't have to be hip. 

"Man, thank you! I can't tell you how much that moves me, man!"
"Back there the kids was like he's the fuckin' coolest, an' I'm like hell yeah he is!"
"No way. That makes my night! The kids?"
"I's like, I got to tell him."
"That makes my night!"
"Mine too, man, this bus ride turned it into a good day."
"And you know, thank you for steppin' all the way up here to say this! To get the feedback, it's kinda rare,"
"It would notta been a good night if I didn't come up here and tell you."
"I grew up riding the bus a lot, I still ride the bus a lot, and so I try to be, the driver that I would want the driver to be if I was riding,"
"Yeah yeah. Well you DOIN' it man, you are just fuckin' doin' it like a motherfucker! I can't believe! I jus' felt so good sittin' back there!"
"There's this Martin Luther King quote,* where he's like,"
"Yeah,"
"He's sayin', if it falls to you to be a street cleaner, or toilet cleaner something, let you be the best,"
"Fuckin,"
"Most amazing toilet bowl cleaner there is, do it like, like it's a masterpiece painting,"
"Hail yeah,"
"Be the best you can be kinda thing, don't matter what it is."
"Das exactly what choo doin', dude, and you should be proud. My name is Tiger."
"My name is Nathan. It's good to meet you."
"I'ma be around. I do stand-up comedy around here,"
"Oh, tight!"
"And iss like you doin', iss all about touchin' people with the positive. I gotta say, this one uh the most amazing things I've witnessed,"
"Dude no. It's a honor to hear you say that!"
"Keep doin' it man. 'Cause for all us folks out here, it means the world. That's some shit from the heart."
"Thank you. Thank you!"
"I see you again!"
"Oh yeah! I'm a be right here!"

Later on that evening, another gent has similar thoughts. Roger is an operator, riding my bus home. I see him get up to leave, preparing to leave through the middle doors, but he too feels compelled to walk up to me.

"You're such a PRO, Nathan. You are just a pro at this. You've got this voice thing down."
"What? Thank you–"
"It's like a radio voice, just exactly that silky, warm, like it's in anticipation of something. You know what you sound like is those golf announcers. 'And he goes for the putt.' "
"No way!"
"All the women back there are smiling."
"Naaawwww."
"I been watchin' 'em. You got em charmed." 
"Naaawwooo way. I don't believe you! Roger thank you for saying– it's an honor to hear you say this, man. Thank you. 'Cause I have no idea what it sounds like! I never get to ride my own bus!"
"You've got it down, Nathan. Keep doin' it."

I know the feeling of joy fulfilling my being, overflowing such that I can't help but lay it on anything or anyone around me. It's a treat to see the same bubbling up in others. I'm thankful for every minute.

--

*I've grotesquely mangled the quote. Give me some rope- I was splitting the lanes at Myrtle to take the curve! Here is Dr. King's dramatically more eloquent wording:
​
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
7 Comments
Deb
12/8/2015 01:17:56 pm

I'm on my break between two houses. This is just so inspiring! And thanks for the reminder; I'll be cleaning and sweeping with a smile on my face. (I'm one of the ladies who is quite charmed, by the way!) You will be an amazing mentor when I get out on the roads! Looking forward to it so much!

Reply
Nathan
12/8/2015 09:25:41 pm

Deb,

You're too kind! I struggle sometimes with whether or not to share stories like this one.

I began writing down stories on transfers years ago because I wanted to remember moments that felt special to me; this one certainly did, but in sharing it with others I worry it reads as ostentatious.

I hope the intention comes through: that what was great was that kindness was being lauded. That I happen to be the person being lauded here is immaterial to me; I almost wish I could be a third person watching this interaction happen to someone else, because then I could write with that much more ardor. As it is I simply have to have faith in the reader and hope that (s)he understands this is something other than the worst form of insecure narcissistic (ah, redundant!) navel-gazing.

Reply
Deb
12/8/2015 10:17:22 pm

If anyone has any doubt, all they have to do is ride your bus. I understand your concern, and in fact, I am glad that I met you by riding your bus twice during rush hour long before you had a blog. There were some of interesting scenarios similar to what you describe in your blog each of those times I rode. The first time I read your blog, I could hear your voice as I read. Yes, this guy is for real! If I had just randomly found it and read it, I probably would have doubted, but that's because I'm cynical. I'm glad to know better!

Lori
12/9/2015 10:11:01 am

I, like Deb, was one of those ladies charmed by you when you were driving the 3/4 route. I do not see posts like this as self-aggrandizement--I see them as your sharing the joy in simple, honest human connection.

Reply
Nathan
12/9/2015 02:59:29 pm

Lori & Deb,

Okay, now you're going to make me blush! Thank you!! I'm extremely happy the intent of these posts comes across. There are so many moments like them, and I try to cherry-pick the ones which are the most interesting.

Reply
Deb
12/16/2015 09:43:20 am

Lori, what can we do to get him back on the 3/4?! I keep asking him, and he keeps saying, "The 7 is my baby!"

Reply
Nathan
12/16/2015 11:33:38 pm

Abandoning babies is hard! The 3/4 is a terrific crowd of people as well. And I miss Aurora Avenue somethin' terrible. I haven't driven those routes for the last time, that's for sure!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe

    Nathan


    -What is this blog? Check out the explanatory first post, or read the  front-page Seattle Times writeup here! 

    Here's a one-page crash course with links and highlights: Nathan Vass 101

    My Book is Finally Easy to Purchase!

    -For New Bus Drivers: Thoughts, Tips, and Stories
    -How to Drive the 7: The Complete Care Package

    Popular posts:

    Only have time for one story? Try these. 
    -The Day The Earth Stood Still
    -Le Park de Cal Anderson
    -
    21st Century Man
    -One Last Story (Video)
    ​
    -Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Great & Terrible 358
    -I'M A LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK WOMAN!
    -The Final Flurry: Index
    ​
    -Scroll down on this sidebar to "On the Street," below, for more highlights~

    Personal:
    -International Examiner Interview (Plus a word to my fellow Hapas!)
    -
    Full (Redmond) Circle (includes event gratitude writeup index)
    -Surviving the Social Desert: Nathan on High School
    -With What Time We Have
    -My Seattle
    -On Second Acts
    -Yves Klein, Color of the Heavens
    ​
    ​-Popular Posts from 2018, with Commentary
    -Nathan Vass, 2019 Washington State Book Award Finalist
    -Nathan on the Elliott Bay event: Parts I, II, and III
    -Seattle Magazine / Third & Cherry
    -Pretty Sure I Don't Deserve This
    -How I Live Now
    -Escaping the Overlords: Nathan on Comcast
    ​
    -I Am Now Ten Years Old
    -Confession
    -Flowers in a Pool of Blood: Thoughts From an American in Paris
    -Paris, One Year Later: A Personal Perspective
    -The Transgender Ban
    -Nathan on the Las Vegas shootings: On Terror & Other Things
    ​
    -The Birthday That Almost Never Happened
    ​
    -Nathan Takes a Day Off:
    Part 1 (See Nathan Run);
    Part 2 (Nathan Gets Excited); 
    Part 3 (Nathan Sounds Like Morgan Freeman)
    -Rad(iation) City
    -La La Land & What Los Angeles Means
    -Reparations
    -Names Nathan gets called! A list in three parts: 1, 2, 3
    -Where and How it All Began
    -How I Write the Posts, and Why
    -Chaleur Humaine
    -A Story
    -What Not to Say​
    -In Praise of Silver Hair
    -You're Been a Good Friend of Mine
    -...And a Splendid New Year!
    -Nathan Converses With His Colleagues: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... and 65

    Political:
    -What's In a Number (Trump's legacy)
    -Praise Island (Biden's win)
    -The United States of Floyd
    -The Great Male Detoxification Project
    -The Day the Music Died
    -Kindness In the Days of After
    -Understanding Love & Hate During Trump Nation
    -More than Health, More than Money
    -Seattle, Center of the Modern Universe
    ​
    ​-What We Did, Today
    -This Story Has Nothing to do With Donald Trump
    -Don't Be Scared of My Friends, Part I
    -Don't Be Scared of My Friends, Part II
    -The Music Isn't Dead (Yet)
    -Nathan Actually Talks Politics, Pt III: Keeping the Music Alive
    -Pulling Our Weight, Part II: Addressing the Homeless Laziness Question
    -Getting Some Diversity Off My Chest
    ​
    -The Veterans
    -Islamofriendia
    -Be at Peace, Mr. Garner. We Will Love the World For You
    -The Streets Regard Ferguson
    -How do You Change the World? Thoughts on Violence
    -Cowboys of the New Age: Status & Respect in the American Ghetto
    -A Boy Named Hamza: Thoughts on Hate in Three Parts 
    -It Used to Sound Like This

    ​On film & art:
    -Trois Objets 1: on Michael Mann's Heat
    -Trois objets 2: On Antonello da Messina's Annunciate Virgin
    -Trois Objets 3: On East of Eden
    -On Laura's Book
    -Nathan on Seattle's Waterfront: Before and After
    ​-Nathan's Films of 2019: Top 2 Plus 23 Runners Up (photos, trailers, analysis & more)
    -Once Upon a Time... in Dreams: On Tarantino, Violence, and Transcendence
    -On Finishing Men I Trust
    -The Lie & How to See It: On Hate, Despair & Hope in Contemporary Film
    -
    Notre Thoughts
    -Addressing Despair: Nathan on First Reformed
    -How Evergreen Became Irrelevant
    -October 2018 show breakdown: all the deets 
    -On Color Darkrooms
    -The Non-Bailers: Thank You to the Cast & Crew of Men I Trust, Pt I
    -People I Trust: Thanks to My Cast and Crew, Pt 2
    -Nathan's Overlooked Films of 2016: Trailers, photos, analyses
    -A Bus Driver Reviews the New Bus Driver Movie! 
    -My Films
    -Song to Song and Malick: The Cutting Edge
    ​
    -Nathan on Wet Lab Prints
    -Kehinde Wiley: The Morning After
    -Nathan the Friendly Hermit, Part I: Nathan Gets Pasty
    -
    Nathan the Friendly Hermit, Part II: Pastier and Pastier
    -Birdman, (a) Film of the Decade
    -
    Gone Girl: Fidelity & Subjectivity
    -On Gravity and Identity
    ​-Primary Colors with Music: Andrea Arnold's American Honey
    -Sicario: Why Visuals Matter
    -The Martian: On Intelligence in Pop Culture
    -About Elly
    -Best films of 2015: Trailers, photos, analyses
    -Selected writings on films released in 2014, 2013, and 2012. 

    On the Street:
    -It's Complicated (on Rainier RapidRide)
    -Jessica Lee
    -Ah, Volume
    -Eulogy for the Damned
    -King Travis
    ​-The Great and Terrible Fifth & Jackson: An Ethnography
    The Veterinarian: A Story on Grief in 4 Parts
    -The Glow
    -Decent Street: Kendrick, Gender, Lingo, & the Good Man Problem
    -The Shake'N'Bake: Parts 1, 2, & 3
    -
    Pulling Our Weight, Part I
    -Pulling Our Weight, Part II: Addressing the Homeless Laziness Question
    -I've Been Sainted
    -Dominique The Mystique
    ​
    -Deserve, the Concept and the Song
    ​-Gangsta Phone Strategy, Deep Breaths & Kindness Rising
    -The Joy of Bus Driving
    -The Knife's Edge Dance
    ​
    -The Soulful Stench
    -"Everybody Need to Quit Acting Hard and S**t"
    -The Mother's Day Apocalypse
    -Ode to the 358
    -"I BET YOU APPROVE UH GAY MARRIAGE"
    -The Question
    -By Himself
    -Appreciation
    -Banter in the Nighttime
    -The Nathan Train
    -The Benevolent Roar
    -Truthfulness, the Final Currency
    -Love is in the Air
    -Surfing the Sparkling Wave
    ​-Saddest Music in the World​
    -Rainier & Henderson, Baby!
    -Sheeeeeeyyiitt: Strategies for Day or Night
    ​-AngryNice I (Love Through Frustration)
    AngryNice II: Tran Chimes In
    AngryNice III (We've All Felt It)
    -Love (Hurting From a Lack Thereof)
    -Hip to be Joyful
    -Future, Present, Past
    ​-Changing Awful
    -Harsh
    ​-The Nameless Heroes
    -The Break-Up
    -Tropic Of
    -Figuring it All Out in the Bullpen
    -Leaving Small Talk Behind
    ​-She Did It On a Monday
    ​-One Day, My Friend
    -I Am Now Two Years Old
    ​-The Harder Thing
    -Poker Face Practice
    -The Great Freeze

    For Bus Drivers!
    --How to Drive the 7: The Complete Care Package
    -
    -It's Called Working
    -
    -Bus Driver Appreciation Day: Coronavirus Style
    -The Swagger I Love: Thoughts on My Fellow Operators
    ​-A Love Letter for My Colleagues: Exercises and Stretches for Operators
    -What I've Learned From Other Bus Drivers
    -Rest in Peace, Breda Monster
    -I Don't Know What a Trolley is, Part I
    -I Don't Know What a Trolley is, Part II
    -Verbal

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Book
  • On Cinema
    • Essays on Film
    • Top Film Lists & Reflections
    • On Terrence Malick
    • Nathan's Thesis
  • Photography
    • Death in Paris
    • Venizia
    • Napoli
    • Havana
    • Roma
    • Seoul
    • Milano
    • Shenzhen
    • Taipei
  • Men I Trust
  • About
  • Press
  • Speeches!
  • Upcoming Shows
  • Films