Generations

She stood at the edge of the sidewalk, the early morning wind had her shaking in her shoes. Her fluffy blonde curls whipped around her face, still damp from the shower she had taken. The bus was late, yet again and irritation was setting in. She tightened the black blazer around her and just as she was about to check the pocketwatch dangling from her neck for the third time, the bright bus drove around the corner. For a moment, she was almost joyful. That was until she stepped onto the noisy, crowded bus.

The kindergarteners were bickering, as all kindergarteners seem to be. The high schoolers were yelling their conversations, making her embarrassed to be one of them. Taking the last empty seat, the girl plugged her earbuds in and turned her head to the window. Two stops later, the strange boy plopped down next her as he had every day last week. They never talked, only endured the ride together.
The bus lurched to a stop; making her drop her phone to the ground in surprise. In the time that she had retrieved it the boy had stood, blocked the students behind him and held out an arm for her. He was handsome, she thought, with his thick brown hair, chocolate colored eyes, and athletic body decked out in a light blue button up and black slacks.
She moved her petite body into the thin aisle, off the bus, and out into the chilly air for the second time today. Clutching her backpack straps she started the trek up to the school, the boy right behind her.

She was tiny, he kept thinking to himself. It seemed as though if anyone bumped into her all the bones in her body would just shatter. And why was she so serious all the time? He was dying to know what went on in her head, because for some reason, he couldn't get her out of his.

"Alright class," her Journalism teacher announced as he passed out assignment sheets. "For this project, you and a partner will pick a quote from the paper I am handing you. You must investigate that quote in any which way you choose. You will then write a joint essay on what you found. It's due Friday."
She wrinkled her nose, hoping the teacher would let her work alone. Before she could raise the question, bus boy appeared at her seat. "Would you like to work together?" Seeing no other option, she agreed and he took a seat next to her with a cheeky smile. "I'm Jude," he told her, reaching out his hand. She shook it and introduced herself before turning her attention to their assignment.

Aaliyah. To him, it was the most beautiful name he had ever heard. He kept glancing over at her on the bus ride going home, at her blonde hair and guarded green eyes. He wanted to know what was behind those eyes.

Holding a camera always gave her an odd sense of power. The ability to capture the world and all of its beauty. It relaxed her to have the ability to hide behind the mechanical device, and she got that feeling all over again as she lifted the camera from it's case and looped the strap around her neck.
Tourist town as the locals called it was really just an enclave of cultural based shops bustling with tourist activity. Aaliyah and him stood in the very center of it, she with her camera, he with his phone set to record people's responses. She surveyed the scene- the beach front community less active now that school was starting but still bountiful with people. Jude came up behind her and asked, "Where should we start?"
She looked over at the used book store beside them. "This looks good to me." Jude agreed and their adventure had officially begun.

Her confidence surprised him. Aaliyah walked right into the bookstore with a kind, warm smile on her face and struck up conversation with the little old lady behind the cashier's desk. The lady seemed surprised and then very pleased. After exchanging pleasantries, Aaliyah flipped open her notebook, handing it to the lady to read, asked, "Can you tell me how you feel about this quote? It's for a school project."
The woman smiled at her and looked down to read the words written in Aaliyah's bubbly handwriting. "If you could speak into this when you're ready please," he asked her kindly, holding out his phone for her. The lady gave her answer with a happy smile. She and Aaliyah chatted a little longer and then they went to next store, repeating the process again and again until they had all that they needed.

It amazed her how much cultural variety there was throughout the little tourist town. They visited all the stores from boutiques to café's to souvenir shops, each with its own theme. A Native American arts store, an ornament shop, Chinese food for lunch and an Italian ice cream stand for dessert. They now sat in a park, on a blanket Jude provided, listening to people's' responses on Jude's phone. She took notes in her spiral, completely focused on the task at hand.

He was not focused. He couldn't stop staring at her, wondering how the shy new girl was suddenly confident enough to approach any random stranger on the street and ask for their views on her journalism project. He wanted to see through the mask he was sure she was putting up. Or maybe he wasn't sure. He just wanted to know her.
By the time they were finished reviewing their research, the sun had dipped low in the sky. He walked her home even though it was out of his way, enjoying every minute of her presence. They agreed to work on their essay again the next day and said their goodbyes. Jude walked home with a broad smile on his face.
~
Framed on the wall in her house was the newspaper clipping of the article she had written with Jude all those years ago. It had been featured in the local newspaper, a pride and joy of theirs. People who come into their home are drawn to it. Their children know every word of it. Both Jude and her live by it.

"To our older generation, the quote from J.R.R Tolkien 'Not all those who wander are lost' means differently than that of our younger generations. Mary Ricket, owner of Ricket Books, looks back on her years of learning and growing and advise us to take our time. Ricket says, "We have to believe that even though we feel lost, we're not. We're just trying to figure things out, to find the right path in life. People wander to discover things; it's possible to wander with a purpose."
The more spiritual part of our society reminds us that we need not a clear north in life. It's okay to allow our compasses to spin. Dallie Briggins, co-owner of Native Novelty, tells us to "...Be spontaneous; don't follow the straight line that was drawn for you." Then there's our travelers. They're living in the moment and appreciating the beauty around us. Samuel Bond, associate at Hikers World, informs us of the beauty that the wilderness holds. "To emerge yourself in nature and to lose the drama of everyday life may be the only way some of us can find ourselves."
So back to our younger generations: the 20 years olds learning to be adults and find their passion in life, the 30 year olds who have grown comfortable in their careers and may be raising children of their own, the 40 year olds going through their midlife crisis. The teenagers. To many it's going to be the most confusing time in your life. You will love, you will laugh, you will hurt but most importantly, you're learning. Sometimes we think we're invincible and know everything there is to know. Just understand this: You can never be alone in this world, someone always has your back and you can never be truly lost, just simply wandering until you find your way."

Jude stared across the table as his beautiful wife threw her head back in laughter. 13 years together and the sound of her laugh was still enough to place a smile on his face. The originally shy couple grew inseparable. They had rough patches, yes. He battled cancer, she fought depression, but they were always there for each other. They raised two beautiful children and lead successful careers.
They speak from experience when they say that they once thought they were lost, but weren't. They used each other to find the light in a darkened world. And to Jude, that's what the quote always meant. Finding someone in this world who made you feel at home; made you feel like you could never be lost, so long as you were wandering with them.