by Michelle Wang, 11th Grade, TX

When I first rode a bus, I imagined the bus stop would look like one of those metro bus stations that sit along the sides of the roads. I imagined they would have roofs that looked like big umbrellas and benches that showed signs of wear. I imagined a ride full of excitement and joy. But to my dismay, the ride was uneventful, and the giant bus dropped me off at some random intersection that did not have a fancy roofed bench.

Since middle school, I have been taking the school bus home. Every day, I drag myself onto the bus and fling myself on a seat, preparing for a mundane and boring ride. I board the same bus every day and through the window, I see the same cars, roads, and stores on the way home. Eventually, I get off at my stop and head home. Along the sidewalk, the bushes poking out of their respective properties act as annoying roadblocks. They can’t seem to help themselves from blocking me from my air-conditioned house. The bushes are all leafless and bare, and they looked like piles of sticks glued together with dried-up school glue making their pokes even more painful to bear. Mustering up the energy I have left after a long day of school, I always end up defeating them by using the road to walk around them.

When the weather gets warmer, there is a regrowth of greenery among the plants and vegetation along the sidewalk. I have noticed that during these times bushes grow flowers and leaves in the timespan of a mere week. Usually, there are a lot of pretty flowers. With their colorful petals, they can drastically change the overall look of a bush and the property on which the bush sits. They can make a once gloomy home into the home of your dreams.

While some changes lead to good results, there are some that lead to not-so-great results. Some changes are immediate, and some are over time. Whenever I experience big changes, I want to go back to how things were in the past. During these times, I think about how much easier and more convenient my life was before. But now, I have realized that the past was once also the present, and once also the change I so disliked. As long as time keeps marching forward, change will always happen, and there is no preventing it.

As I go through life, there will be big changes and smaller changes, such as having to start riding a giant yellow bus. The different levels of change require different amounts of dedication to adjustment. Although there are constant changes in life, I still struggle with dealing with and adjusting to change. I don’t like when the consistencies in life disappear, because they are refuges in the constant swirl of events in my day-to-day life. However, whether I like it or not, adjustment is needed to respond to change.

Currently, the bus ride home remains a constant in my life, but it is also a constant reminder that things could change, and I will need to adjust.