When I drag myself onto the bus at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, the last thing I expect is to learn about college relationships from a bus driver. But the moment I set foot on the RTS Route 21 bus last week, I walked right into a conversation that I knew would keep me listening until I was dropped off at Rawlings Hall.
The bus driver — whose name I was unable to get before I hurried off to class — was explaining to the only other passenger at the time why people shouldn't take relationships seriously in college. The other passenger was a girl, clearly frustrated with the quality of guys she had been meeting during her nights out in Gainesville.
"The guys you're meeting are 21 or younger," the bus driver said to the girl, pulling over to another bus stop. "They don't know what they want!" Another girl walked got on and sat right near me. She started to listen to the conversation, too.
The bus driver continued to explain that college is meant for socializing and dating different types of people so that you know what you're looking for once you're ready to settle down. This seems like advice that everyone should already know, but how often do you hear your friends or roommates talk about how much boys and girls suck? Sometimes strangers are better at putting your BF/GF/FWB problems into perspective by showing you that you're not only probably being silly, but you're also not alone.
By this point, female passenger No. 2 and I made no effort to hide the fact that we had moved up eight seats just to join the discussion.
Throwing in a little extra advice, he told us we should be careful with what we choose to wear when we go out at night. The more revealing your clothes are, the greater your chances of being approached by the wrong type of guy. So, if you ever hope to be approached by a decent guy, then dress the part. Again, simple enough, but that is another guideline that is often ignored.
All I needed was a ride to campus, but I ended up leaving with my first blog topic on love, relationships and all things confusing. Many thanks to the bus driver who reminded three college girls that, in the scheme of things, having a difficult time with meeting the right people in college is truly no big deal.
Posts in Gator Mate appear on Thursdays.
