Creative Response to 'The Road Not Taken'

It was so dismally cold today; but no matter how much I wanted to stay in bed for a few more hours, I knew I had to get up. The slate grey of the sky outside darkened my room, as I slowly made my way out of bed.

As I stepped out my apartment building’s front door, the cold seemed to seep through my coat and settle its self in the deepest parts of my bones. I walked briskly towards the bus stop, some fifty meters down the road, hugging my coat close to my body. 

A few minutes later, I was able to escape the brutal cold, as my bus pulled up to the curb. From the crisp coolness of the winter air, I stepped onto a bus warmed by the many bodies crammed in the perfume and cologne drenched vehicle. Slowly, I walked towards an empty seat towards the middle of the bus, finding it strange that it was still free when so many people stood along the aisles of the packed vehicle. When I reached the seat, however, I realised why it was empty.  Sitting beside the frosted window, was an old man, dressed in threadbare clothing, wearing shoes that were missing part of their soles. His hair was bedraggled and he looked in desperate need of a shower and a warm coat. He was clearly homeless.

I looked around this empty seat at the faces of the people nearby. Looks of disgust, pity and even fear surrounded me. Some held their noses, as if this man’s body odor may, in somewhat, physically hurt them. But not one of them seemed to know this man. They simply judged him based on his looks, and therefore refused to sit beside him; even if it meant standing in the aisles. I was appalled.

How could these people be so shallow? What gave them the right to judge based on looks? And so, I sat down beside him. The looks of disgust, pity and fear, quickly changed to shock, disbelief and in some cases revulsion. The man beside me was equally surprised at my decision. I turned to him, and asked, ‘how are you today?’ A mixture of emotions flooded the man’s face – beginning with shock, then confusion, but the one that seemed to remain etched in his features, was gratefulness.

As we reached my stop, I slowly stood up and waved goodbye to my seat partner.

‘Have a good day!’ I called out, as I exited the bus. Although seemingly insignificant, today’s bus ride will remain with me for many years to come; I hope for the man’s sake, it will remain with him too.