Bus Blog -3

I haven't really been riding the bus all that often anymore, but I will share this story with you. It has been quite a few months and all of the details are a bit foggy.

Riding down Hollywood Boulevard is always an interesting experience, as any of you know who have ever visited this area as a tourist or native. This day in particular I was riding the 212 or the 217, I can't remember, from the heart of touristville on Hollywood and Highland. I was listening to my ipod but bookless this time. (I like to have both usually, because crazy people are attracted to me. I had someone come up to me once that was convinced that I was Dulcinea del Toboso ) When I am sans book, I like to watch the people who come and go, as I am sure most people do. Especially in this area because you never quite know which character (literally) will join the bus riders.

Somewhere on Sunset a young mother, with a baby bjorn strapped to her chest, got on the bus. What attracted me to this young mother out of all of the other hundreds of young mothers that ride the bus daily, was that she was dressed very much like Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez, even down to the pacifier on a string around her neck, now a functioning piece of jewelery for the wee one she was carrying. What kept me drawn to her was how loudly she was fussing over her baby, almost like she was showing off her new motherhood to everyone who was within listening distance. I noticed how the mother and daughter had the same hat, how cute. (perhaps myself in ticking mode) I was realizing that I was obviously staring and looked away, but thought about how throughout the entire coo-fest that the baby never made a sound, not a squeal, laugh or anything which is odd.

I turned back to look at the mother and child and saw that the baby had blond hair and as I looked closer she didn't even have the same skin color as her mother and as the mother rocked back and forth, I realized that the baby was in fact a doll.

This could be construed as a funny situation, but what I felt was a profound sadness. This woman obviously thinks that doll is her baby.