A funny thing happened to me on the bus yesterday...

Hi again,

I was just reading someone elses blog when I remembered something that happened yesterday - and I wanted to share it with someone and with Jamie away and out of mobile phone reach - you guys are it!!

Yesterday (Friday) I left work around 5.45pm after standing around at Friday night drinks with a glass of water (hey I wanted to go swimming, alcohol and the pool never mix - and I want to do 7AFD's) chatting to a few friends for 45mins before I headed off to the gym. I decided to have a go on the rat wheel as I like to call it (AKA Cross Trainer) after Lyn (Powerof+thinking) inspired me, then I jumped on the exercise bike and rode 15mins flat out before heading down stairs for a quick shower and then 15mins of laps in the pool.

Anyway - thats not the story...

So I walked from the pool to Oxford Street to catch my bus. At 7.15pm ish the busses arent that frequent - about 15-25mins apart. I was there only 3 minutes when my bus pulled up. The driver only opened the back door and 5 or so people got off. Myself and another lady were waiting to get on but all he did was motion through the window that the bus was full and he couldnt let us on. From where I was standing, there was heaps of room - he just had to ask people to move down (plus in my experience, at that time of night half the bus gets off at the top end of Oxford Street to hit the pubs so I knew it wasnt going to be crowded for long). Anyway, I dont know why I did it, but I yelled out 'come on, there is plenty of room'. He looked at me then opened the door and said 'well OK, but I am breaking the rules'. Well people saw us get on and they moved down so we were standing well within the safe zone (not on the red lino!!) and then as I guessed, half the bus got off at the next stop. The other women thanked me for speaking up - she said she never would have said anything, just waited for another bus. I said 'thats OK' but is got me thinking.... Would I have ever spoken up 3 months ago when my self confidence was so low? No I wouldnt have. The bus was a horible journey for me most of the time. I was always the last person to have someone sit next to me (cos lets face it, I took up more than my fair share of the seat) and it always made me feel self concious and to be honest, an utter loser. 14kgs gone and I am never the last person to have someone sit next to me now - unfortunately, that has gone to someone else (never the same person twice obviously, I dont religously catch the same bus) but I have always noticed that its the biggest person on the bus who has the seat next to them empty the longest. Once I tried not letting it bother me, thinking it was great because that was less time I had to have someone sweaty rubbing up against me - but I knew the sweaty person was most likely me.

But anyway - back to the point. I have so much confidence now. Just little things like this make me so much more aware of how I act now and how I am not affraid to hide in the shaddows or use humour to make people like me. I am more likely to state my opinion in public now and I am less likely to be treated or spoken to rudely. I am standing up for myself instead of feeling like it just doesnt matter. It does matter. I just needed to remember that.

Wow, 2 points in one day. I'm on fire! Good night!