The Weight of Small Things

The bus was late again.
People complained. I didn’t.

I had learned that complaining never made the bus arrive faster.

An old man stood beside me at the stop every morning.
Same torn slippers. Same quiet eyes.

We never spoke.

One morning, the bus didn’t come at all.
Ten minutes passed. Then thirty.

People left one by one.
The old man stayed.

I checked the time. If I waited longer, I’d be late.
If I left, I’d miss the bus.

I left.

That evening, the news mentioned an old man who collapsed at a bus stop.

No name. No photo.

The next morning, the bus arrived early.
The space beside me was empty.

If you’re reading this and hesitating, remember: sometimes doing nothing feels safe—but the moments that define you are the ones you dare to act on.
You’re not missing the bus. You’re missing the lesson if you wait too long.

For the first time, I understood why some chances don’t look like chances
until they’re gone.