Man on the Bus

Met a man waiting for the bus last night. A working class black man. He struck up a conversation about the price of gas. When he said he thought it was probably going to hit $3 I told him I thought it would end up being above $4. I know, it was a strange conversations with a stranger. He thought the war was supposed to get us cheaper gas he said. I mentioned that lately it meant the price would be going up and that now the areas producing oil disliked us more than ever. He wondered why so many young Americans had died then. Well I agree that the war had something to do with oil. After all we don't go forcibly removing every dictator who abuses his subjects or invades a country nextdoor. I explained to him that in order to reduce the price of oil, one need only purchase a block of shares of ExxonMobil or the like. The dividends offset the increase in gas prices. Neither one of us remembered the miniumum wage, but thinking it was around $6 I explained that if everyone making minimum wage would just devote a dollar per hour earned to investing in oil stock, they would defray any increases in gas prices. He nodded in agreement, until I told him I was bullshitting him, at which point he breathed a sign of relief. I was wearing a suit after all.

After that, he also admitted that he didn't want to take the bus through the black part of town, which I thought was interesting. He had a rough week last week and is working all weekend and back to work next week.

But here's why I write about him. His mother apparently passed this week and his wife is in the hospital. But he said at least I have god, pointing up. I only managed to say "good." But if I was a religious man, I would have said I'll pray for you. I suspect this was what he was hoping for. And though I can't or won't pray, I know people who will. So I'll ask in writing, include this stranger on the bus and your wife in your prayers for today, or how ever long you want. Thanks.