Day 13: If the world fell apart and you didn't notice.

One thing I really miss about driving is NPR. I get a lot of my breaking news from public radio, and boy did I miss a news day of epic proportions this morning.

My friends call me a bad leaver. I'll be on my way out the door for lunch when I'll ask a co-worker why she has 50 Tori Amos LPs on her desk, or out the door at home when I ask my husband why we never go out anymore.

Bad leavers are usually late. Taking public transportation requires punctuality. These two facts have tested my will.

So today, I didn't rush a tour of the new arts center for a story I'm writing. Instead, I realized I wouldn't make the bus and savored my time alone. I sat in the sun. I tried this dive that dispelled my belief that decent Mexican food doesn't exist in central Illinois.

For one late morning, I stopped rushing.

Later when I learned about the mess in Lebanon, I thought about my little world of family, home, bus, neighborhood. With crude oil prices once again pushing upward, I started wondering what people in Normal would do if gas shot up to $4 a gallon. Would they sacrifice even a minute of their time, even if they could do nothing for 30 minutes while they waited for the bus to arrive, or would they pay a little more to drive their kids from one organized playdate to the next, griping about the cost?

If money isn't an issue, and the environment isn't an issue and the possibility of war isn't an issue, then what is?

As the Green A was carrying me home, I found a pamphlet explaining that Christ is our key to heaven and the end of the world is upon us. Well, that explains a lot.

It's a great selling point for public transportation. The end is near, so why are you rushing to soccer practice. Sit down. Eat a taco. Enjoy yourself.

Now that's an idea Americans can get behind. Holy shit are we doomed.