Clear to partly cloudy. Low 37F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 37F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Riding a bus is always somewhat interesting, that means it was borderline boring.

I came home from my son’s house in Columbus, Ohio, on a bus.

I’ve done it before, but not for several years. It has never been my favorite way to travel, but neither is via plane or train. I prefer the convenience of sharing a car with someone else driving, but that’s beside the point.

My trip started at a Central Ohio Transportation Authority (COTA) terminal in Columbus. Greyhound no longer has a terminal there. The COTA terminal is simply a ticket booth and rows of benches — no restrooms, vending machines, monitors to tell you what gate, etc. It was simply a row of benches in sections.

That was OK. It was the start of my day and one-half hour ride, and I didn’t need anything.

It was very clean though.

What I always have found about riding a bus is watching other passengers load and unload.

As I watched, I often wondered where each was really going, were they going home or were they off for some exciting destination.

On previous trips by bus there always seemed to be a lot of college students going home for the holidays or back to school after the holidays. (I usually traveled during holidays.)

This time, though, it was a weekday and there were no upcoming holidays.

The riders seemed to be a mix of younger and middle-aged people with a few older people, including me. I’m not sure, but I think I might have been the oldest.

Getting on and off the bus meant I was very cautious since I didn’t want to fall. Maybe that’s why some of my fellow travelers decided to help me with my bag. It made me feel old, but it was OK, I would take all the help I could get.

I actually was on the bus for about four-and-a-half hours — and it was almost all spent in complete silence. The only noise I heard was the sound of the bus as it hit rough spots on the highway — and an occasional murmur of voices from riders sitting in the rear. One man spoke what i think was some kind of German Dutch a few times, but for the most part there was silence.

Some people had headphones on or used their smart phones to entertain themselves.

I just sat in silence.

At first, I wondered about my fellow passengers. That took all of 10 minutes.

I watched the scenery but found mile after mile of interstate highways wasn’t that exciting, so I spent a few minutes mentally “making my list.” Making lists is one of my “hobbies.” It’s what I do best — make lists of things I should do — and when I’m supposed to be somewhere. According to some “expert” somewhere, it’s supposed to be the first step to getting something done.

By then, I only had about one hour left on my ride so I sat in silence, checked my phone again and mentally prepared for the departure of the bus and return to the “real world.”

Compared to some of my previous bus rides, this ride was a breeze. The buses were not crowded, so I had lots of room and space to myself. The buses were clean and the seats were somewhat comfortable. People were friendly to a degree and the weather was nice for traveling.

I didn’t get any answers as to where people were going and why I didn’t hear any stories about their lives — their problems or their joys.

I just rode in silence but for someone who likes to ask questions, that was different.

But I did prove I could be quiet for more than an hour at a time — and not talk to anyone except God.

Fortunately, He doesn’t mind prayers from the heart, spoken in silence even when I’m riding on a bus.

It’s always good to know that although I traveled alone, He was with me even as I sat in silence.

And some of his people (a couple of fellow passengers) were there to make sure I got my suitcase and found my way to the car where my sister was waiting.

The last words I said at the end of the trip was “thank you,” not just to the lady who helped me, but especially to God for the safe travel and for the sound of peaceful silence.

Jean Shanley is retired from The Meadville Tribune where she was communities and society editor.

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