A Sunday Bus Trip

It was a Sunday, six pm.

John and his seven years old son Tim left Hype park after a pleasant afternoon picnic.

The father and his kid headed to Hyde park corner bus stop, waiting for number nine towards Hammersmith, where they lived.

Few minutes later, the iconic red double decker London bus arrived, stopped and opened the doors.

Tim screamed to his dad: “ Dad! Dad! I want the front window seats upstairs please let’s run! Please!”

John laughed: “ Alright alright son, let me scan my card to pay first. Run upstairs and get the seats before anyone else does, I am coming.”

The kid barely waited for his dad to finish what he had to say, and he rushed to the upper deck with so much speed and excitement.

The bus was almost empty.

The front seats with the view of London streets was secured by Tim.

Since it was the upper deck, it gave a better overall view.

Something similar to what the diver could see, but from an elevated angle and perspective.

Shortly enough the bus was on the move and the trip back to Hammersmith started.

Tim was excited.

John struggled to keep him well seated.

He was jumping, looking left, looking right and observing in all direction.

It was like he did not wish to miss any detail of what was going on the streets.

The bus was on the move.

At high street Kensington bus stop, Tim saw a beggar in front of The Ivy brasserie.

The beggar was going through every outside table asking for money.

No one paid attention to the beggar and no one bothered even to look at him.

Tim said: ”Dad! why no one is helping the poor man, he barely have clothes on! Why are people like this..”

The father said: ”Look son, people in this city are so used to see beggars. Some people see them as victims of the greedy materialistic society or their tough lives circumstances and they help them, others see them as lazy and inferior human beings and believe that they are beggars by their own will and others are just too busy with their lives to bother and wonder about anything else.”

Tim said :”But daddy it won’t hurt anybody to give a pound or two is it!”

John replied: “Oh boy, you will be surprised haha! Look, seriously it is complicated. I myself try to help sometimes when I can, but I have to feed you, I have to pay for our house and bills, I have to pay for your school, I have to be careful and smart with our spending. Me and your mom work very hard to offer you things you like. If I have an extra pound or two, I would rather buy you a nice ice cream and make my little Timmy happy!”

Tim draw a cheeky smile, and said: “Okay dad, next time instead of a nice ice cream, buy me two of less nicer type. I will have one and I will give the other to the beggar, I don’t think anyone buys him ice creams..”

John laughed :” haha, it will be your own call Timmy! Just remember, you will not get as many ice creams as you imagine. Use them wisely kid.”

The bus was moving slowly due to traffic and some road works ahead.

Anyone who lived in central London or nearby can tell you that it was often the case during the day.

The bus was near the design museum, when Tim pointed out to a binman collecting the rubbish, pushing his trolley, all while smiling to people.

From his facial expressions and lips movements, it appeared like the binman was singing too.

Tim said with a curious tone of voice: “Why this guy is so happy? He is taking rubbish and working with the dirt and bad smell all day long!”

John said: “Tim, collecting the rubbish is a noble job. That man the serve the community and help us to live in a clean and a decent environment. He is very important and he know that.”

John continued: “Look, some people find happiness in ways that we cannot imagine. Not everyone wants to be a lawyer, a teacher, a president or a doctor.

Not everyone have the ambitions to own multimillion pound businesses.

Not everyone wish to improve their lives, get more money and status and climb the success ladder.

We are different, we like different things and we have different expectations and dreams. Just promise me kid, whatever you will choose to do in your future, whether you choose to sell fruits, clean windows or engineer spaceships: be happy.

As your father, I really hope that you will be ambitious and that you will seek and get the best of this life. I hope that you will achieve remarkable things. Ah and also to make some serious money so you can afford to buy me a villa in Cuba haha!”

Tim said :”Daddy I promise you! I will buy you a mansion in Cuba, you will see!”.

John rubbered gently his hand on Tim’s head and said: “That’s my boy, that’s my Timmy!”.

The red double decker was going slowly through the streets of Kensington Olympia, the father and son could watch the coffee shops and restaurants on left and the buildings on the right.

It was less than ten minutes to Hammersmith Broadway, the destination.

The bus approached a little coffee shop called L’Elysée Artisan Cafe, a place where John and Tim pass by from time to time to get their decaf cappuccinos.

Tim noticed that there was two men arguing and screaming on each other’s.

They seemed very angry, furious and ready start a fist fight.

Some people on the street stood within few meters to understand what was going on.

Others rushed to pass them in order to avoid unnecessary and unexpected trouble.

Tim was curious and focused all of his attention towards the scene of these two men.

Tim said to John :”Are they going to fight? What could possibly be the problem dad!?”

The father said :”People often get angry son. And yes sometimes they fight. Now, I can’t tell you the reason behind this fight but hey, they seem to be really upset.”

Tim replied: “But I never see you angry Dad! Even when mom or I upset you sometime, you don’t get much angry. You didn’t even get angry last week when we prepared the barbecue party and Uncle Roger and his wife didn’t show up at the end! Why?”

John laughed and said :”Haha be assured little Timmy I get angry sometimes too. However son, I try my best to get angry only when it is justified and required, when there is a real reason to be angry. When your mom upset me very much, I might angry at times but you don’t see it. Because I take your mom aside and we do our adults talk.

You see.

Your uncle for example, he called me after the day he didn’t show up.

He sincerely apologised and said he had reasons that he can't tell me about. I let it go, it is the first time ever he didn't show up or call. He was grateful for the understanding and he is invited us next month to his countryside house for a proper barbecue, even better for us!

You know Tim, we are all capable of doing things that make others angry and others too, can upset and hurt us, intentionally and unintentionally.

It is normal, it is life.

However son, the most important is the way we choose to react to it.

Often we get upset by stupid little things and we make a huge deals out of it.

It is the way how we look at things, it is the decisions of what we should make out of the events that matters at the end.

You will get angry my boy, you are human but use it only when necessary.

Use it to say enough is enough when everything else didn’t work.

Use it to draw red lines.

Use it to show that you will not accept certain bullshit, situations or behaviours.

Use with yourself, to change things that you are not happy about and things that hold you back.

Control it and don’t let it lead you.

Be like a lighthouse, stable and solid in the middle of storms.

Be calm, be unprovoked.

Always ask yourself Timmy, is this situation worth my anger?

Is this person or is what she or he did to me deserve and require me getting so mad?

Anger is a very strong force and a double edged sword feeling Timmy, necessary at times but not required and destructive at so many.

Don’t let unworthy things get to you easily my boy!”

Tim looked at his dad and remained quite for almost two minutes then asked:  “Dad, so if one of the other boys in school keep being very mean to me. Say, for example, I get angry, I swear on him, or maybe I punch him would you say that it is justified?”

John said: “Oh boy you haven;t seen anything yet. In life you have to stand up for yourself and you get to kick real hard some asses, or they will walk all over you! Oh here we are, come on, It’s our stop let’s go Tim.”

Tim jumped from the sit and rushed before his dad out of the bus and asked: “I am so hungry! What’s for dinner?”

John said: “Your mother just texted me, it will be pasta with chicken and mushrooms sauce and some salad.”

Tim replied with a very disappointed look on his face and a low tone of voice: “Ah but I don’t want pasta, mom always like to cook pasta that’s so boring…”

John said: “ You have seen mom angry right ?”

Tim said: “Yeah yeah, and I think she will be angry if I comment about the dinner..”

John laughed and said: “ You don’t like pasta anymore haha? You should say it to her, even if she gets angry, too much pasta is too much she hopefully will come to her senses haha!”