The Karma Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round. The wheels of the (Karma) bus go round and round, round and round. All the way through town. 

Hopefully the bus driver isn’t drunk or high. Imagine an inconsistent Karma. How disappointing would that be? Days too long, nights to short, no difference between right and wrong. A drunk Karma would be too forgiving, or not. 

That bus, that Karma bus of yellow paint and black rubber wheels is rolling down the street, you know the song, that one you learned as a stupid little kid, that melody is ringing in your ears now. You’re welcome. What they didn’t tell you as a child is what I’ve already hinted at with some fairly extreme subtle clues in less than three paragraphs: That bus is an analogy for Karma. And the table is now littered with clutter. Now, don’t start pissing your pants or gasping is amazement, you knew this was coming. You’re not that stupid anymore. Hopefully.

On the Karma Bus (if you haven’t caught on yet: “Life”. Emphasis on the quotation marks), you’re safest on the bus. Sure, there’s some shady characters on the bus, and you’re one of them. But on the bus, your ego, your ambition, and your delusion are all in check. It’s all confined within the rational walls of that yellow torpedo trudging down the city streets. Safe and seatbelt-less. Once you grow some balls and step off the bus at one of the many stops, that’s where you enter the wild, where it’s dog-eat-dog. 

Don’t get off the bus.

When you step off that bus, you’re exposed. All the dirty sidewalks, the filth, the muddy banks and the caked on diarrhea in the streets will enter your nostrils for attempted filtration. But off the bus there is no filtration. No safety. No seatbelts.

Wait a minute...

Off the bus, you’re a sitting duck for The Game. What Game you may ask? Here you are, playing stupid again. The Game of Life. The Dog-Eat-Dog world of tossing others under the Karma Bus, or being tossed under yourself. Now you’re understanding why I said “Don’t get off the bus.” Off the bus, you’re forced to either play the role of Protagonist, or Antagonist. There’s no third option. No Switzerland. You’re a either Jedi. Or a Sith. An Angel. Or a Demon. Team Edward. Or Team Jacob. 

Wait a minute...

It’s Dog-Eat-Dog off the bus, and you’re hungry at first. This is your moment to shine. Like a plastic trophy above the fireplace, glimmering with Hope and Delusion. Everyone’s a Winner. Your ego grows in excitement, like in a dark room lit by a black light with a stripper named “Destiny”. The bass booms and you feel the vibrations between your thighs. You know this isn’t right. But you bob your head to the techno anyway and play along. Like the Game of Life. You’re not thinking about tomorrow. You’re not thinking about the consequences of pushing your first victim under the Karma Bus. You’re thinking about your growing... Ego. 

But like a balloon, it’ll eventually POP.

The next thing you know you’re face down in a pile of what you’re hoping is mud and not human feces. The street is cold when you’re placing your hands down to push yourself back up. And there’s no one there to help you up. You’re confused. Lost. Soiled. And betrayed. That trust you had for humanity has evacuated like the shit from your ass. Nobody’s safe when you exit the Karma Bus. Round and round, Go Karma! Go! Just like the tide; tide comes in, tide goes out. And there’s no explanation for it.

Wait a minute...

For every action there’s a reaction. For every cause, there’s an effect. For every excited body thrown under the bus at your filthy hands... Well, you get the picture. So take a number and get ready for the Karma Bus to run you over, because off the bus, nobody’s safe. 

The silver lining comes with getting run over. In an ideal world, you’ve learned something (don’t get off the Karma Bus). You’ve come to the realization that in tossing a known body under the Karma Bus, you’re sealing your fate and taking a number. You’re asking for trouble, you’re asking for some tire markers down your back and your face flattened in the streets. So hopefully you’re no idiot. Hopefully, you’re intelligent enough to learn something once, and remember it.

Otherwise, The wheels on the bus go round and round...