HELLO!

I miss the bus. For many years I served as a part-time navigator for persons accessing foodbanks in downtown and north end Dartmouth, 18 years to be precise. In the first 5 years I was also serving St. Luke’s United in Tantallon, so I would drive to the foodbanks, then return home, and Kim would then take me to the church. I did all my visits on foot. For the 11 years I took the Metro X shuttle bus from Tantallon to Scotia Square, then walked over the Macdonald bridge to the foodbanks and then took a city bus to first St. Andrew’s United on Coburg Road and later to Bethany United at the Rotary. I was usually in the office by 930 am. When I accepted the call to come to Woodlawn United Kim went out and bought be a used car, and now I drive 40 minutes to and from the church.

Today, while driving to the church, it took me two hours (730-930 am). All the while I was going back and forth with CBC Radio and Q104, the former to enlighten and stimulate my mind, sometimes even to open my heart with a compelling story and the latter to make me laugh, two of the three host are my age and their humour (sarcasm) is familiar to me. I will occasionally scan the station my wife Kim has programmed for me (I don’t ever adjust anything in the car, except for the wipers when it rains). If songs by the Tragically Hip, Steely Dan or the Dire Straits are to be heard, I will listen for a while. Otherwise, I pray, I ponder things on my to-do list (like writing this blog, or a sermon), or someone’s name will come to me, someone going through challenges, and I will call them when I arrive at the church. If there a social justice issue being considered, I will think about where I stand, how I will articulate this, who can help me appreciate the various angles one can use to understand this matter.

I also experience stress while driving, as a passenger and as a driver. Sometimes I will pray, breathe calmly, repeat a mantra. Driving is my one and only cause of stress, I am fortunate in this way, though Kim wishes it would improve as I am not the easiest passenger to have in your car. When you drive, and you are stuck in traffic or have a long journey, what goes through your mind? How do you cope with the time afforded to you?

Peace, Kevin

PS Kim’s cousin Leah is visiting her father this week (she lives in BC). She was going through some old boxes of articles cut out from the newspaper and found this. 36 years is a long time. A lot driving since then…