MUNI. For those of us that live in San Francisco, that single name evokes all kinds of emotions. But hate it or love it, MUNI buses are the heart of the public transit system, and they are directly responsible for helping tens of thousands of people get around the city each day.
I ride the 38 Geary bus to and from the office each day. It’s a bumpy, stinky, hot, packed, cattle car experience. But, I actually like it. It’s a chance to mingle with all kinds of people, brought together by the randomness of going in the same direction, at the same time, on the same day. And, at two bucks, you can’t beat it.
A few days ago, an elderly woman at the front of the bus was waving a piece of paper at the bus driver trying to ask for directions. The problem was… she didn’t speak English, and the driver didn’t speak Russian.
I grew up speaking Polish (my mom was born outside of Krakow and hopped the pond in 1970), so I could tell that the lady was speaking Russian (the languages are somewhat similar). Yet, unfortunately, my grasp of the Russian language is restricted to the names of classical music composers and vodka brands.
As the lady continued to struggle with orienting herself in a foreign city, her anxiety about being lost began to grow. She raised her voice, tried communicating with other passengers, and frankly seemed on the verge of tears. We all wanted to help her, but none of us — not me, not the driver, not even the well-dressed guy with the slick suit and shiny shoes — could get it done. None of us had the right skills.
And then, when all seemed lost, we were all taught an important lesson.
At the front of the bus, was a young, short, Asian teenager, bumpin’ Jay-Z in his gigantic Dr. Dre Monster Beats headphones, with his pants sagging around his ankles, and his SF Giants hat perfectly tilted at a 15 degree angle from his head. He looked like he was right out of central casting for the next Kanye West hip hop music video.
When the kid saw the commotion (remember, the lady was asking everyone trying to get help), he took his headphones off to see what was going on. And then, in absolutely perfect Russian, he proceeded to spend the next five minutes answering all her questions and helping her get the info she needed.
It was one of those moments that made you feel amazing to be alive.
The lady thanked him profusely, got off at the next stop, and walked down the street with a sense of confidence that only comes from, well, knowing where you’re going. The kid sat back down, put his headphones back on, and resumed the semi-comatose state we all find ourselves in when riding the bus. And we all sat there — amazed, humbled, and simultaneously purchasing the Russian version of Rosetta Stone from Amazon.com using each of our respective wireless devices.
The lessons are clear and numerous. And, they are lessons that I see replicating themselves everyday in Sparked. It amazes me to see so many quality, effective, and thoughtful solutions being provided to cause after worthy cause. And those solutions come from every type of age, race, skillset, place of employment, and gender.
So, as it would seem, love isn’t the only thing that is blind — skills are too.
(Image courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tehf0x)
