On Foot in Suburbia

I had a car when I was in Washington State, staying in the suburbs of Olympia and Seattle, traveling to the slopes to go skiing. Last week, I was on foot in the suburbs of Washington, DC, staying in Rockville, Maryland, with nothing but the kinds of normal errands to do: mail some things, get some groceries, use the internet connection at the library, buy some baby things for my prospective grandchild. I was also wanting to walk, since I´m about to embark on this two week ramble through northern Spain. Anyway, the weather was lovely, the azaleas and dogwoods in bloom, and I felt blessed to be there, slowed down to a walk.

And yet, there I was. There is a bus that goes by very close to my friend´s house, a bus whose main mission is to take people to the Metro (subway). I found I could ride it easily to my usual destinations in the morning, but when I waited for it in the afternoon, it really didn´t come at the times the schedule said it said it would. Hmm, I said to myself, at least in Mexico City the little buses come all the time and whenever they show up, it hasn´t been too long a wait. But walking was good. I wasn´t in a hurry and I needed the exercise.

Getting to the shop of baby clothes was more of a challenge. That required another bus. But where to wait for it? The website did not really say. I got there, I thought, and waited. The bus stop sign had the number of the bus on it, but it didn´t come. I asked! Around the corner! There it goes now! So I waited for the next one, and pretty soon, I got to the baby clothes place. They had exactly what I needed. Nearby, a pleasant restaurant had a nice lunch for me. And across Rockville Pike, I found the right bus stop and waited with confidence, somewhat longer than I thought I would, for the bus to take me back. The baby clothes and I walked back through spring breezes and vistas of May apples, happy to be on foot once again.

I like these places of peace and green, with azaleas and dogwoods and May apples and such. I like to walk through them for whatever reason. And I appreciate the little buses, now fueled with natural gas, and hope more people will take them. They´re not as practical for anytime travel as the little buses in Mexico City, but they´re really worthwhile. I wish them well, the little buses everywhere. May we all walk more and drive less and find a bus when we want one.