20160303 (college commute)

 Jerry's was a deeper bronze.

Saw an astonishing amount of new

Construction as I came through Chester

Avenue from Bagels and Bibles this 

Morning, especially in the vicinity of

Cleveland State. I’m assuming these

Are dormitories for students from 

Outside the greater Cleveland area,

Since the last time I discussed this

With anyone who should know, CSU

Is top heavy with commuters. Well,

God bless ‘em both, school and 

Students! Most of my college and

University experience took place

In the ‘burbs (JCU in University 

Heights) and in the rural hinterlands

(IU of Bloomington Indiana). To say

IU dominated Bloomington (one 

Rapidly expanding quadrant of the

Otherwise sleepy ville) would be

Like saying Facebook is mostly

Selfies—true, but not remarkable.

If I’d had to ride the buses to JCU

I would have signed up with the

Military after a couple of weeks.

Not that the bus ride was so bad 

As whichever route I took I would

Have had to transfer. I would have

Had to dress for the weather since

There’d be a lot of waiting in sun,

Sleet, snow, and rain not to mention

The occasional tornadoes. And 

Worse, I have always gotten sick

On the bus—from childhood riding

Streetcars with my mom when she

Would drag me nauseaus tot-in-hand 

Downtown to May’s, Higbee’s,

Halle’s, and God forbid, Sterling

Linder Davis, to my four years of 

High school at Cathedral Latin—

a one bus twenty-minute stand

Among the great unwashed of the

Southeast side—my compatriots.

Fortunately for college an old

High school pal drove from 

Garfield Heights and could

Easily pick me up daily. If I

Needed to stay late on campus,

I’d bite the bullet and take the 

Buses. I rode in style, if not in

Safety, as he had a bronze-flake

Two-door Pontiac Catalina

Equipped with automatic, A/C,

PS, PB, PW, and PDL (power

Door locks—in case your date

Thought she could leave the car

When she wanted). Except for

Jerry’s distinct proclivity for 

Playing “passenger chicken”

(Racing down a lane where 

Far enough ahead a car was

Parked and not swerving away

Until everyone in the car was

Screaming, “Chicken, chicken,

Already!” We joked (?) that before 

Getting into the car with Jerry it

Was wisest to go to confession 

And have the last rites just in case.

Before writing these lines I had

Not thought to express my gratitude

To the city of Detroit for playing

Such a large role in my education.

Of course at Indiana I walked

Everywhere and thankfully not

In the rain, although we did have

Snow. Had I not fallen in love

There with the woman who, truth

Be told, pretty much saved my 

Life, I would not think so warmly

Of it today.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016