It was just another
Tuesday morning for Jill. Her alarm clock began its beep-beep-beeping at 6am
sharp. As is always the case, Jill put her feet to the floor without thinking
about what she was doing. Heaving her slightly overweight frame up, she
stumbled sleepy-eyed along to the washroom to pee and have her shower.
Every work day morning
Jill showered, it was the only way for her to find consciousness. The hot water
encouraged all her senses to come to awareness. It did not need to be a long
shower, but on this early winter Tuesday morning, she was moving at a snails
pace. After 30 minutes of suds and water Jill stepped from the bathroom to her
closet to get herself dressed for another day of work.
Coffee in hand, work
clothes on, lunch packed, and IPod in its case, Jill stepped outside. Bright
winter sunshine forced her to squint as she dug through her purse to find her
sun glasses. The air was crisp and the snow that covered the January ground was
still fresh and white. Jill could not help but to feel the beauty of the day.
No one could describe
Jill as anything less than pleasant. As she walked towards the bus stop located
directly in front of her apartment building, she smiled softly as if she was
remembering a pleasant encounter. When people walked passed her she always made
eye contact and greeted them with a hello or some such phrase. At the bus stop,
Jill stood shoulders-turned-in to fight back the cold as she waited for the
7:38am heading downtown to the city core. She worked in the London Life
building on Queens Avenue.
Jill had been making this
morning journey for 25 yrs. She planned to stay put now until she retired. She remembered
when, as a young 30 something she had begun to look for another job thinking
she was becoming stagnant at London Life.
Jill was never really sure what the prompt was, but at the same time she
developed a discontent feeling, London Life offered her the first of a four
promotions she had received in the last 15 years. She knew she was a good
employee, a trustworthy employee. The type of employee who came to work early
regardless of the weather, and who could be counted on to stay late when the
need was there. She was focused and of sound mind. Jill knew this about
herself. But where was that bus? At last; here it comes.
© Holly Ballantyne May
2012
