Will I Make It?

The 30 seconds that I often spend waiting to cross the street when the bus I need to catch is rapidly approaching the stop on the other side of the street is probably the most nerve-racking 30 seconds of my day. This is obviously a hard task, as I spend 95 percent of the seconds of the day in varying degrees of agitation. But believe me, they are nail-biting moments.

Today I was standing at the crosswalk as I looked down the street at the bus coming up over the hill. Glance at the stoplight - still green. Can't cross against the light - too much traffic. Back at the bus. Appears it is stopping. Good. Hopefully someone who needs them to lower the stairs is getting on and could buy me some time. Back at the light. Still no go. So much traffic. Bus is still there - the transportation gods may yet smile upon me. Trying to stop heart from seizing with terror at the thought of waiting for another half hour in fading light for a bus to magically appear. With my luck it would be a supreme bus drought and then five buses all at once. I'd make too sudden of a movement toward one but all of the buses would think it is for the other bus and I'd wind up missing all five. Ok snap out of it. Back to bus. Looks like it is still stopped. Back at light. Wait, it's red. The man is telling me to walk. Only 28 more seconds left to get across. Quick run to the stop even though the bus isn't moving. Clearly at stop waiting for bus. Almost failed to make critical eye contact with bus driver, who may have left me standing at the stop with the Bandolino shoe store that looks like it is going out of business. Board bus, stopping traffic on major thoroughfare because of aforementioned near-miss with eye contact (bus driver didn't pull out of lane). Get on bus - bus driver gives me a look of mild surprise that I wanted to board his bus and not the cool red bus that was coming next. Laws of inertia throw me hurtling toward my seat. Collapse in a daze. Cannot believe my good fortune at coming out of work at exactly the right moment to lead me to my seat with the minimal amount of wait possible. To think what could have happened if I had been off by two minutes.

I wonder why my commute burns 500 calories and leaves me feeling so exhausted.