Love affair with letters - Bus story 1

I used to take the Volvo (bus) to come to office. I spent most of my early bus days listening to radio until I lost that phone (too) and got a basic model. It did have a radio but gave me a headache due to poor sound quality. I then used to get lost in some insignificant not worthy of any mention anywhere kind of thoughts. UNLESS there is a co-passenger reading something.

My love for letters dates back to god knows when. I remember while at school, I would start reading a novel and would go on reading it oblivious to anything around me. Sometimes late into the night, after couple of warnings my mom would switch off the lights. But that never stopped me. I have finished many a novel under the blanket with the help of a torch. Well, what I am trying to say is that I was an avid reader. However, of late my reading has dribbled down to just the tidbits I steal unawares from the guy next seat.

Besides newspaper, I have read parts of novels. Some of them not to my taste like this lady once was reading a book which is nothing but a compilation of emails... it features the protagonist’s boss and colleagues and several emotional upheavals. Boring.

One interesting fact I gathered is that a lot of people read self help books - how to lose weight, how to gain confidence, 10 things to get anywhere you want. ‘Number 1: Always get to the meeting before everybody else '. Sometimes the bus feels like a powerhouse of motivational thoughts.

A guy once was trying to memorize lines of a play, probably under production for some coorporate event. It's a series of dialogs between a man and his wife who have gone for a trip to a hill station. And they converse about environment, world peace. Someone obviously not married wrote that work of fiction.

I have also read tech interview questions and answers, the last minute preparation on the way to interview. Medical students mock exam samples. This one time it was something like this. A child is brought in with vomiting, severe stomach ache and high fever. What is your diagnosis? Several months later, this information came handy when couple of us were discussing something related. When I went on to explain (excitedly) on how I gleaned this info, everyone looked terribly bored and I gave up on it. I am not good with (spoken) words. Should try and find a seat next to the guy reading Effective Communication.

Once a pretty old in his sixties uncle was intently reading a book, covered in brown paper. "She was overwhelmed. As he moved closer, she let out a sigh..." Ouch.

It is pathetic but I have read few SMS exchanges as well. (Blush). The most ordinary looking people pack so much of attitude in their SMS. It's unbelievable.

Anyways I have now graduated to driving down to office. May those souls in bus read in peace.