commute

Sa kahabaan ng España

On my way to the hospital in Tondo for my surgical rotation I am barely bothered that I’m already late. Time in is at 7 am. It is almost 8 and I’m barely halfway there. I look up from the book I’m calmly reading and notice for the first time that the bus is packed, both men and women standing in the aisle, holding on to chairs and metal bars lest they be thrown off balance as the bus careens almost aimlessly despite the heavy traffic. I have always wondered how all these commuters handle their hour-long commute to and from work/school/wherever. I have always lived in a dormitory or apartment very near school or my place of work. The longest jeepney ride I’ve had to endure to go to school lasted 45 minutes only because at that time I was already running late and caught in rush hour traffic. On the good days, it only took 10 minutes to get to school. On the not so good days when I’m running late I would often choose to take the 20-minute walk to school if the weather permitted. It was always just a few minutes walk or a short jeepney ride to school/work. It is only when I’m on outside rotation in government hospitals that the daily plight of the commuter shock me into reality.

I cannot imagine wading through floods during the rainy season. I cannot imagine not having an end to the street’s madness. I at a least have something to look forward to. I am out of the hospital base for a month at most at any one time. There is always an end to the madness. There is always time to recuperate (far from the maddening crowd) before I am thrown off balance again.

But not these people. No these commuters whose hour-long commute is nothing but run-of-the mill.

I have much to learn in this life.