By: Sydney Dotson
I sit and watch. Legs crossed, back straight, hands clutching my coffee, phone & umbrella. The rain is soft, but the wind brings it into the bus stop shelter and it hits my face. My phone vibrates. I look down at it as I sip my coffee. Another Snapchat; I lock my phone and glance at the woman leaning against the shelter wall. She’s talking loudly on her phone about a presentation she is anticipating. She’s wearing red galoshes and kicks at a puddle as she speaks, her scarf blowing in her face. A car goes zooming by and I move my attention to the man across the street trying to call a taxi. As each one passes, he anticipates each will stop, but none do. When the traffic slows, he runs across the street and sits on the bench next to me. I notice how wet he is, the rain dripping from his floppy hair. Buzz. My phone vibrates again, I look down, but it’s just a text from my roommate. I stare back across the street at the Starbucks and take another sip of my coffee. When will he text me? I think to myself as I unlock my phone, only to lock it again. The bus pulls up to the shelter and the woman gets on quickly. The man rings himself off and steps on. As I gather my things my phone buzzes again and YES! It’s him. I anticipate what his response could be as I get onto the bus and take my seat next to the woman in galoshes. I take another sip of my coffee as I unlock my phone.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/anticipate/
Everyday we anticipate something. Whether it be something big or small we look forward to something. I wrote the short story above to describe a few of the small things we anticipate often. All three characters are anticipating the arrival of the bus. They may not be patiently waiting or excitedly waiting, but they are waiting for the bus. Each person is also anticipating the rest of their day. The main character is nervously waiting for a text. That may be a small thing to anticipate, but it’s something. Sometimes we anticipate big things, like election results, hurricanes, or a new baby. To anticipate is to predict or look forward to. Each day you should strive to find something to look forward to and I guarantee you’ll live a happier life.
Shit Sydney Says 