I am currently aboard the struggle bus.
For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the struggle bus is the metaphorical location for all who are going through some sort of difficulty.
The struggle bus is an okay place to be when you think about it.
The struggle bus doesn’t pose a competition—anyone can be aboard it. No one struggle is greater than another.
My current struggles for example, include:
- My auditing practice and theory class—we took a midterm last week; it was not pretty.
- My skin is sooooo dry; the colder weather is hitting me hard this year, and I’ve tried EVERYTHING (suggestions would be welcomed).
- My future—I have no idea what I’m doing for grad school, I don’t have an internship lined up, and I’m trying to balance my parents’ expectations with my goals.
This doesn’t sound very bad at all—nobody’s dying, I am economically intact, and I have time to worry about these things.
The magnitude of my struggle relative to others aboard the struggle bus cannot be compared because the struggle bus is a place of collective struggle. We, aboard the bus, recognize that the struggles of all are valid and everyone is deserving of a seat on the bus.
The struggle bus picks us up at a low point, we ride and commiserate with others, and when the struggle is lessened, we are dropped off again in a better place.
This can look different for everybody. You could have ridden for minutes, weeks, or years.
The point is, each of us have, at some point in our lives, gone for a ride on the struggle bus.
That’s the beauty of the struggle bus—we’ve all been there.
We have all felt the immense highs and lows this life has to offer. In recent times, especially, it feels like the world is at a low, and we’re all going down with it.
For this reason, it’s important to recognize the collectivity of the struggle bus.
Whether you’re on the bus yourself or know someone who is, take a second to breathe. Feel the bus and the presence of those who have ridden and have long since gotten off.
Remind yourself that riding the bus is only temporary – no matter how long you’ve been a passenger, there will be opportunities to get off.
The struggle bus will always be there, and others will always be there to ride it with you.
You got this.