5 Lessons in One Day
Last year I had a day worth sharing again.
I went into Oakland to meet with a new client for a walk around Lake Merritt and took BART. Unlike on most BART rides, I didn’t take out my phone to check anything!
On my ride back, I picked a seat next to an older woman who closed her eyes as we headed north. We stopped at North Berkeley (2 stops from mine) and were held for a few minutes due to a medical emergency at my station (El Cerrito del Norte). They decided to turn around and head back to San Francisco so I got off, sat and pondered my options. That’s when I realized that I had left my phone in my home office so I couldn't call Lyft. At that moment, walking, Lyft or Uber where the only options that came to my mind. An old-fashioned taxi never occurred to me!
Luckily, the next train arrived about 5 minutes later and took us to the next stop (El Cerrito Plaza) where it was announced that this was the end of our ride for the day as the medical emergency had not yet been cleared ahead. While I considered my next move, the older woman left the station to a destination unknown to me.
It was a rare sunny and warmer than usual day so I decided to walk the 2 miles to my station and car. I had just finished a brisk 3 mile walk around Lake Merritt but I figured that another 2 miles wouldn't hurt. This BART location was familiar to me having driven to, from and past it a number of times. And my BART station was a straight walk down San Pablo Avenue.
As I got off of BART property, I reached a bus stop and the older woman who had been sitting next to me on the train was there along with a BART retiree. I stopped to talk with them and the former BART employee shared that he had contacted a former BART co-worker and was told that someone had committed suicide by jumping in front of a train at my station. Whether true or a rumor, something bad had happened and immediate sadness came over me. The older woman said that a bus was coming that would take them to del Norte and that they were going to ask to ride for free given the diverted BART train.
Within 15 seconds, the bus arrived. and as I got on and asked how much the ride would be. The driver said $2.35. I told him that I'd been on BART and he waived me on with no charge. We arrived at the next station just as the fire truck pulled off and the station reopened.
I got into my car and on the drive home thought of a few things about my day: (1) How blessed I was to not have witnessed the act of suicide at the station. I was on the next train that was to have arrived at del Norte and could have seen something that would have been nearly impossible to ever shake from my memory. (2) It's amazing how quickly a life can be erased, literally. The station was cleaned up and reopened within an hour. (3) How patience can win the day. I waited 5 extra minutes and was able to travel within 2 miles of my station. (4) The kindness of strangers is waiting for us, everywhere. My seatmate left the station 5 minutes before me and recognized me as I walked by and acknowledged her at the bus stop. I NEVER ride buses so I'm doubly grateful for her and the bus driver who let us ride for free. (5) Never forget your mobile phone. Or, as my cousin shared, maybe this day was about not having my mobile phone with me so that I could truly experience that day.
And then there are the train operators. When I shared this story with my brother who works in transit in a major northwest metropolitan area, he reminded me that these people sign up to move people not to remove them. He shared that it is indeed unfortunate that circumstances lead to such outcomes all too often.
It was a day.