MARTA, Atlanta – Can you learn anything on public transportation? I believe you can. It’s Friday, February 26, 2010. Yea! I boarded the train as usual at the Arts Center MARTA station rushing to catch the Xpress bus that departs the Civic Center station at 5:14. Like most evenings, the train got to the Civic Center after 5:14 and so I was forced to head to Five Points with the hope of catching the bus there. Today I am glad for the extra ride because of something that happened on the train.
Heading south from the Civic Center MARTA the next stop is Peachtree Center. When we stopped there one of the passengers that boarded our car was a Caucasian gentleman with what appeared to be a laptop bag and another piece of luggage. As he entered it appeared that his laptop bag brushed against an African-American man who was sitting in a seat near the door. The newly boarded passenger quickly turned to the seated passenger and said, “I think I brushed you really hard back there and I am sorry.” The other guy responded, “It’s nothing. You’re okay.” The two men then went on to talk about life being too short to walk around with bitterness and stress the petty.
Two remarkable points came out of their conversation. 1. The Caucasian man said that life should be about loving God, loving people, working hard and prospering.
“Wow!” I thought. I knew that before, but it was great hearing it being said somewhat loudly on a train. 2. The African-American mentioned that he and a friend conducted a test on the train to see if they could find 5 smiling faces among of 100 people.
They failed.
As I got ready to leave the train, the Caucasian said that he was from Alabama, attended school in New York City and that was the longest conversation he had had with someone on a train. Although I was not involved in the conversation, I responded, “You are right.”
That conversation left me thinking how much time we waste on temporal and petty stuff. We board the train or bus and care very little about the person sitting or standing beside us. So often we go about life with a frown on our faces.
What are we so mad about?
As the goodly gentlemen reminded us, life is too short to be wasted. Let us get up; get out there; love God; love people; work hard; enjoy the moments; and prosper.
By the way, my pastor would be happy to hear this because he constantly tells us that it’s about loving God and people. Right on, Pastor!
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