MOG #90: Who's there?

Cate finds gratitude in finding her way home again, literally...

Early on I thought that since this was my last year of being an undergrad at Brock University, I had simply run out of ‘firsts.’

First 90? Check!

First 50? …Check ☹

First fight with a housemate? Ugh, check.

First time getting lost using St. Catharine’s transit? Oh yes.

First legal drink at Isaacs? Hell yeah!

So it seemed like I had gone through all the firsts many students would experience – the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. What I didn’t realize was that I was completely, and utterly wrong about my assumption.

You see, I had it easy during the last three years. I lived at home so that meant that I didn’t need to worry about cooked meals, clean and folded laundry, and I certainly didn’t need to worry about not having a reliable ride to places because I had a car (not my own, mind you). Have you noticed that I like lists, yet?

Anyways, so after a summer filled with driving back and forth from Stoney Creek to St. Catharine’s, working 3 part-time jobs that equaled to about 45h work weeks, I didn’t realize that I would go through as many firsts as I once did.  I moved to St. Catharine’s for the duration of the school year (I made the leap!) and left my beloved red Honda Civic at my parent’s house. Gone are the easy days and hello to public transportation.

Okay, cool, I don’t mind taking the bus. It’ll be fine. Everyone is doing it. It’s easy.

I try to keep a positive attitude about it all.

But let me tell you, my first full day of living in this town was not as easy as I thought it would be. First of all, the idea that the bus comes every 30 minutes just wasn’t sticking and I couldn’t figure out what time the bus would get to the stop in front of my student house, outbound or inbound. And then there were other busses like the 16, 116, 122, 124 that I could be taking in order to get where I needed to be and though it may be so simple to other students, I just wasn’t getting it.

So not only was it pissing rain last Tuesday when I finally figured out which bus to take to go get groceries, I run into my new co-worker Karam who kindly offered to give me a lift home in his car because he knew my pains: it sucks having to carry an arm load of groceries in the rain.

Fast forward to 8:30pm when I’m standing at the same bus stop needing a ride to work an overnight shift at the Pen Centre. I learned very fast (and in the most unfortunate way) that the bus I was waiting for does not stop in front of my house, but does stop at the very end of the street. In other words, the bus drove right by me. I frantically call up my friend Aamir who lives a street over from my house and who was just about to step into the shower after an intense gym session, and he generously gives me a ride to work. I jump out of the car and hear him say, “Hey, anything for you!”

I’d like to say that the inconveniences end here but oh, there’s more. It’s 2:00am and I had just gotten off work. I call three different cab numbers to no avail. The fourth was a success – to a degree. The guy on the other end of the phone cited a 5 to 15 minute wait for a cab. I thought, Okay, no big deal. Small price to pay to ensure that I don’t get attacked while walking home.

5 minutes goes by. 15 minutes. 35 minutes. Where was this cab? I call back and another woman picks up and cites another 30 minute to 1 hour wait because the previous man had cited me too short of a time frame. This woman ensured me that the cab would be there soon. Not wanting to risk another minute and keeping in mind that I had work at 9:30am that morning, I texted another good friend Liam with the simple “Are you awake?” message. Not 10 minutes later, he was at the entrance of the mall and I was on my way home.

So what I got 4h of sleep that night? So what I was having the worst luck in terms of transportation? So what I miss my car? All of that didn’t matter because I was having the best, worst day of my life.

It was the last, first day of my undergrad career and all of this happened, and I honestly could not be happier. These three individuals, whom I’ve known ranging from 2 days to 4 years, were all there for me no questions asked. They were even happy to pay me such favors. How incredible is that? And though in my heart I have to find some way to pay them back for their kindness, I am so grateful to have these people in my life.

These men will go far in life not because of their intelligence or skills or even their good looks, but in fact their hearts will take them as far as the eye can see. These men, they are my moments of gratitude.