I have yet another interview in an hour's time, I have a half hour to get to my destination. I've dropped the little man off at before-school care, the husband off at work and I have a half drunk cup of coffeee and a few cigarettes to help me along my way. I need a job, not necessarily THIS job, but a job. I don't need a minimum wage, "Thank you for treating me like shit for the simple courtesy of checking your crap out", kind of job, but the inevitably thankless, "Work through your lunch, stay late, take one for the team today, tomorrow and the next day", kind of job. I'm stuck behind a bus AND there's a train. I can't be late for this interview.
The long slow cargo train covered in graffiti passes, then, on its heels, a sleeker faster commuter train. The gates go up, traffic is moving on my left. The bus doesn't move. I can't get over because everyone and their mother is on their cellphone, not paying attention to the rest of the world around them, AND they only care about themselves. SHIT. I have someplace to be too, just let me over. No dice. The light changes again and I wait, hoping the bus will move on when the light goes green. I really can't be late for this interview.
The light goes green, the bus doesn't move; not an inch. There's no train coming, the gates are up, people are zooming past on my left, WHAT THE HELL??? I STILL can't get over, and I can't move forward. I'm so going to be late for this interview, I cannot afford this kind of delay. I'm already not working, I've had problems with the unemployment process and the people that work there practically know me by name at this point. I need to get past bus number fucking 90 and the train tracks to my stupid interview; the light changes, and here we sit. I'm on my second cigarette and now out of coffee, I'm not a happy camper.
The first patrol car arrives and helps direct me past the bus and the tracks, much to the chagrin of cell phone abusing soccer moms in my wake. As I pull away, I see the ambulance and additional emergency personnel arrive; I wonder, briefly, what is going on but I have this interview and I can't be late. I arrive at my destination and have an okay interview, not great, not fantastic, just okay. As I leave, I know I won't get the job. It's nothing they've said, I made it on time, just barely, but on time; I did my best, it just wasn't quite good enough. It's been a bad day.
I make my way back through the city towards home to lick my wounds and prepare for another interview on another day. I pass the train tracks without incident, the bus is gone and so are the emergency personnel. I don't give it another thought until I flick on the television and hear a quick story of a bus driver who suffered a fatal heart attack on the job. Guess my day wasn't that bad after all. For me, there's always tomorrow; for bus #90, there will be a new driver.
