by Kathy Fortune M.D.

Created on: September 15, 2008

THE BUS STOP

I had never seen a city bus until I left my small southern country town and landed on the East coast for college. It would be my first trip away from home.

At college, I stood out like a sore thumb, an obvious country bumpkin. My new girlfriends from New York and Philadelphia found me amusing. After observing me in different situations, no doubt was left about how sheltered my life had been.

For example, I did not curse, but if the wrong word ever slipped through my lips, I would immediately ask God "out loud" for forgiveness. I never trusted that he could hear my silent pleas. My friends deliberated tried to scare me so they could hear me say "darn" (bad word where I came from) then follow with the verbal request for forgiveness.

Since the university was not in the best of areas, I was constantly calling Dial a Prayer and would partially dial the emergency number, 9-1, and would hold on until I was disconnected. Then I would redial. In case something happened, I figured I only had one number left to dial.

Now I was not the only one on that prayer line. I heard many people making ridiculous requests of God, like "Although I have not studied one lick, I just ask you to guide my pencil to the correct answers. I promise to study next time. In Jesus name, Amen."

When my roommate came home one night with hickeys everywhere, I started screaming and crying. I thought she had cancer. I eventually calmed down after the explanation, but I still could not believe one human could do that to another. For what?

My friends started talking about public transportation. The only public transportation I knew of in the country was when my feet publically transported me to the chicken coop so I could sit there and wait for a rooster to fly over my head to cure me of chicken pox.

Eventually my girlfriends decided that I needed to learn how to ride a bus, so they took me downtown in a cab during rush hour. We would return to the university on the bus.

When we arrived downtown, I asked if they would wait for me while I went to a men's store. They said "O.K." as they had other shopping to do. I was embarrassed about my planned purchase at the men's store and I did not want them there.

I had never seen snow, but I knew that I would encounter snow in a few months. I wanted to be prepared. The truth is I wanted some long johns and I did not know they made them for women. I sheepishly entered the men's store and was quickly approached by a friendly salesman. He asked if he could help.

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