Today the sky is without light, except for the ambient glow of the white overcast sky.  The rain is falling slowly and in spurts over certain parts of the city.  The drivers ply their directions into and out of downtown, looking around with the extra franticness that rain incurs.  Being the north west pedestrians still walk around with barely a notice of the drizzle or grey skies.  The buses still roll in and de-bus their hundreds upon hundreds of passengers.  3rd, 4th, and the other streets where egress takes places are full of transit commuters pouring out and onward to work.

I love it.  To me this is beautiful.  The flow of people, the meaning of their intent, the mastery of their day.  Modern humanity.  Some may see despair or slavery to the corporate machine, I see knowledge, security, and passion where it truly is.

On the bus I board, the #545 bound for Redmond, I already know the faces but not the names.  I get the friendly smiles and cursory glances of familiarity among the driver and fellow riders.  It is a warm feeling to have that basic familiarity with those around me.  At some point I will probably know some of their names as random conversations turn into actual meaningful discussions.  The banter rolls away and actual communication takes place.

As we roll up into the hills, to what I suppose is Capital Hill, we poke along at a very slow pace.  It’s always nice compared to the chaotic racket when driving down the Interstate.  It makes me wonder how many people are actually aware of the noise pollution high speed (30+ mph) thoroughfares have.  The noise is often very overbearing, as anyone that has ever lived by a highway or major road can probably verify.

The commute rolls on, rain and dreary overcast, and I have a grand smile on my face while I observe the world around me.  Transit, with the plush seats and comfortable ride, provides the ultimate platform for doing just that.

Arrivederci