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Healing Over Seeking Validation

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A frustrated person pointing at an indifferent figure, with the world moving on around them, symbolising frustration and the passage of time
Sometimes, the more we focus on seeking explanations, the further we move from where we need to be

Letting Go and Moving Forward

Imagine you're on a bus, the rain tapping against the windows as it winds its way through a busy town. You're sitting there, minding your business, when suddenly—whoosh—the bus drives right past your stop. Not a glance, not a pause. Your stop. Gone.

Now, instead of just pulling the cord and ringing the bell to get off at the next stop, you leap from your seat like you're on a mission. “Oi! What’s the big idea?” you shout, striding towards the driver, hands flailing in the air as if you’ve just been personally wronged. “Did I do something? Did I no’ give you the proper signal? Why didn’t you stop for me?” you demand, voice rising.

The driver barely blinks. He’s not bothered. He’s got a job to do, and he’s not interested in getting tangled up in your drama. He just keeps driving, eyes firmly on the road, chewing his gum like he’s heard this song and dance a hundred times before.

But you're relentless. You're convinced that if you shout loud enough, if you make enough of a scene, he’ll realise his mistake and beg for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the bus keeps moving, heading further and further away from where you were supposed to get off. Now you’re heading into unfamiliar territory—completely lost. But still, you're up there, shouting at the front of the bus, expecting some sort of explanation.

You could’ve just rung the bell, couldn’t you? Pulled the cord, got off, and made your way back to where you needed to be. But no, you’re too busy trying to make the driver understand your frustration. Meanwhile, the whole bus is watching, and you’re just spinning your wheels.

That’s how we all are sometimes. Someone hurts us, ignores us, or lets us down. And instead of moving on, we fixate on them, demanding answers as if that’s going to make it better. We spend so much time trying to understand why something happened, we forget to focus on how to move forward.

But here’s the thing: the bus driver doesn’t owe you an explanation. He didn’t skip your stop because he’s out to get you. It was a mistake, sure, but it's not worth clinging to. Life goes on, whether you shout or not. All you had to do was ring the bell and get off at the next stop. Simple as that. But now you're further away from your destination, all because you’re still holding onto that frustration.

Holding onto anger in life is like sitting on a bus that’s taking you the wrong way and expecting it to turn around just because you’re mad. It won’t. It’ll keep moving, and so will everything else. If you’re not careful, you’ll just get more lost.

So, the next time life passes you by, don’t waste time chasing after it for answers. Ring the bell, get off, and find your own way. You don’t need anyone’s approval to move forward. And if you’re not following the Iron Grit Transport Service? Well, good luck. But if you are? Congrats. You’re learning how to take control of your journey, and that’s the best part.

The Bus Driver

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