Hound Hassles, and a Hallelujah Chorus
Well, I am officially back visiting with my family in North Bay. Getting here, however, was NOT easy. This is the way it works when I have to travel using a Greyhound busline of any kind (Greyhound, Ontario Northland, PMCL, etc) First, I haqve to call both buslines that I use to get from London to North Bay (in this case, Greyhound and Ontario Northland) a minimum of 48 hours in advance to be sure that a wheelchair accessible coach replaces a non-accessible coach on the routes that I am travelling. While on the phone, I give the requested information to the attendant and then I am told that I will be called back when it has been confirmed that everything is set to go. Knowing this process as I do, from travelling back and forth as often as I do I gave both buslines 4 days advance notice. I heard back from both buslines on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
So, confident that everything was good to go for my 10:30a.m. trip to Toronto, I head to the Greyhound station to buy my tickets. I always buy my tickets on the same day that I travel so that I don't loose them **Traveller tip---If you are connected somewhere onto a different busline, purchase them in separate transactions, it's MUCH cheaper (ex. Transaction 1: Lon-Tor, Trans 2: Tor-North Bay). Unfortunately, this is where I ran into the first of what would be many problems today--For some reason, the computer at the counter wouldn't give me the student discount on my Ontario Northland ticket, and since I could only afford student prices, I was told that I would have to purchase this ticket in Toronto and hope that they give me a discount, since they were apparently not honoring student fares during the holidays. "No problem", I thought. "I'll have lots of time to pick it up during my 90 or so minute layover. Of course, I'll have to pray that I have enough money in my account to cover the cost" WRONG! No sooner had I left the ticket counter when the Greyhound driver came in to check for any last minute passengers. As soon as he spotted me, he looked confused. I've been through this before---that look meant that someone screwed up at the head office in Calgary, and the bus going to Toronto did NOT have a lift! Naturally, I started to panic (wouldn't you). I was near tears trying to explain that I had a 2:30p.m. connection to make in Toronto. See, unlike able-bodied people, I don't have the luxury of just catching the next bus out. If I miss my scheduled bus, I'm likely screwed for another 48 hours at least. Fortunately, I was told that I would get on the noon bus, and JUST make it for my connection.
Once I was finally loaded onto the right bus, the panic of possibly not being able to pay for my next ticket, thanks to me not being notified of this whole "no student discounts on the holidays" junk over the phone like I should have been when I ASKED about student pricing, hit...HARD! I did the only thing I could think of to do...pick up my cell phone and call my best friend Sherry in Georgia and ask her to pray. Of course, as soon as she picked up, she could immediately sense that I was upset. I instantly burst into tears right there on the bus as I attempted to explain the situation, plead for prayer, and make sense all at the same time. Thankfully, she told me that if, when I got there, I found out that I didn't have enough money for the ticket, that I was to call her and she would give them her credit card information over the phone. Prior to this, she asked me why I hadn't just called my friend Jamie for help. Truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I had his cell phone number in my phone. Besides, I didn't really feel right calling someone that I've only known a few months (as great as he is....And believe me, someone that will carry you up a handfull of stairs for 6 straight performances and a couple of rehearsals is the epitome of great in my book. More on the performance experience later...) a blubbery mess, and asking for MORE help.
Finally I made it to Toronto at around 2:15p.m. I get inside the terminal only to find the ticket line at least 50 people long! At 2:30, the time the bus was scheduled to depart, the driver finds me and rushes me to the front of the line so that I could buy my ticket. Thanks to a miracle from my Saviour, I DID end up receiving the student discount after all, and made it back to my family without further incident.
On another note, last night was the final performance of "King of Heaven", the Christmas production at my church, for which I was in the choir. It was, in my mind, the best performance of the six we did in total. Everyone was spot on! The actors were spectacular, the choir soloists were all in top form, and I even managed not to tear up when Jamie sang "Majesty". Of course, I'm sure keeping my eyes closed the entire time had a far bit to do with it. Unfortunately though, since I'm here I won't be at the production party/DVD viewing tomorrow night. For those of you who read this from Simply, as soon as I get a copy for myself, I'll talk to Char and see what I can do so that anyone who wants to can see it.
Doing this production was probably the most fun I've had in a very long time. That's probably because I felt more included over the past number of weeks than I have in years. Whether it was something as simple as auditioning and getting the same chance as everyone else, or Pastor Tim putting a regular chair up on a riser so that, even though I was sitting down the whole time, I was still relatively level to the choir, or Jamie, someone I had met just prior to rehearsals getting under way, carrying me up a set of stairs every night. I think that, as simple as it seems, had the most impact on me, although I can't quite figure out why. Maybe it comes from the fact that most people I've met in the past, guys in particular, tend to shy away from that kind of hands on assistance....especially for someone they barely know. Let's just say this act, and every act of kindness or "inclusion", that was shown to me over the course of these past few months has really shown me that in order to really have the love of Christ in you, saying the right words isn't enough....You, and I, need to ACT.
-Ashleigh
So, confident that everything was good to go for my 10:30a.m. trip to Toronto, I head to the Greyhound station to buy my tickets. I always buy my tickets on the same day that I travel so that I don't loose them **Traveller tip---If you are connected somewhere onto a different busline, purchase them in separate transactions, it's MUCH cheaper (ex. Transaction 1: Lon-Tor, Trans 2: Tor-North Bay). Unfortunately, this is where I ran into the first of what would be many problems today--For some reason, the computer at the counter wouldn't give me the student discount on my Ontario Northland ticket, and since I could only afford student prices, I was told that I would have to purchase this ticket in Toronto and hope that they give me a discount, since they were apparently not honoring student fares during the holidays. "No problem", I thought. "I'll have lots of time to pick it up during my 90 or so minute layover. Of course, I'll have to pray that I have enough money in my account to cover the cost" WRONG! No sooner had I left the ticket counter when the Greyhound driver came in to check for any last minute passengers. As soon as he spotted me, he looked confused. I've been through this before---that look meant that someone screwed up at the head office in Calgary, and the bus going to Toronto did NOT have a lift! Naturally, I started to panic (wouldn't you). I was near tears trying to explain that I had a 2:30p.m. connection to make in Toronto. See, unlike able-bodied people, I don't have the luxury of just catching the next bus out. If I miss my scheduled bus, I'm likely screwed for another 48 hours at least. Fortunately, I was told that I would get on the noon bus, and JUST make it for my connection.
Once I was finally loaded onto the right bus, the panic of possibly not being able to pay for my next ticket, thanks to me not being notified of this whole "no student discounts on the holidays" junk over the phone like I should have been when I ASKED about student pricing, hit...HARD! I did the only thing I could think of to do...pick up my cell phone and call my best friend Sherry in Georgia and ask her to pray. Of course, as soon as she picked up, she could immediately sense that I was upset. I instantly burst into tears right there on the bus as I attempted to explain the situation, plead for prayer, and make sense all at the same time. Thankfully, she told me that if, when I got there, I found out that I didn't have enough money for the ticket, that I was to call her and she would give them her credit card information over the phone. Prior to this, she asked me why I hadn't just called my friend Jamie for help. Truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I had his cell phone number in my phone. Besides, I didn't really feel right calling someone that I've only known a few months (as great as he is....And believe me, someone that will carry you up a handfull of stairs for 6 straight performances and a couple of rehearsals is the epitome of great in my book. More on the performance experience later...) a blubbery mess, and asking for MORE help.
Finally I made it to Toronto at around 2:15p.m. I get inside the terminal only to find the ticket line at least 50 people long! At 2:30, the time the bus was scheduled to depart, the driver finds me and rushes me to the front of the line so that I could buy my ticket. Thanks to a miracle from my Saviour, I DID end up receiving the student discount after all, and made it back to my family without further incident.
On another note, last night was the final performance of "King of Heaven", the Christmas production at my church, for which I was in the choir. It was, in my mind, the best performance of the six we did in total. Everyone was spot on! The actors were spectacular, the choir soloists were all in top form, and I even managed not to tear up when Jamie sang "Majesty". Of course, I'm sure keeping my eyes closed the entire time had a far bit to do with it. Unfortunately though, since I'm here I won't be at the production party/DVD viewing tomorrow night. For those of you who read this from Simply, as soon as I get a copy for myself, I'll talk to Char and see what I can do so that anyone who wants to can see it.
Doing this production was probably the most fun I've had in a very long time. That's probably because I felt more included over the past number of weeks than I have in years. Whether it was something as simple as auditioning and getting the same chance as everyone else, or Pastor Tim putting a regular chair up on a riser so that, even though I was sitting down the whole time, I was still relatively level to the choir, or Jamie, someone I had met just prior to rehearsals getting under way, carrying me up a set of stairs every night. I think that, as simple as it seems, had the most impact on me, although I can't quite figure out why. Maybe it comes from the fact that most people I've met in the past, guys in particular, tend to shy away from that kind of hands on assistance....especially for someone they barely know. Let's just say this act, and every act of kindness or "inclusion", that was shown to me over the course of these past few months has really shown me that in order to really have the love of Christ in you, saying the right words isn't enough....You, and I, need to ACT.
-Ashleigh
posted by Ashleigh @ 4:08 AM
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