There is a young woman by the name of Benny who frequently takes the same bus as I and sometimes I get the chance to talk to her. She sits in the same place on the bus every time I see her and is always excited to speak to whoever is in earshot. Her openness to socialize often makes people visibly uncomfortable and it’s obvious that some people avoid sitting close to her. Benny has autism and her father sometimes has to remind her to lower her voice. I sat right across from her the other day on the bus and she greeted me almost immediately as I sat down. “Hello, miss!” she says with a smile. I greet her quietly in return. I make eye contact with her father and he smiles at me as well. Benny finishes her conversation with the woman sitting next to her and then she directs her attention back to me. She begins our exchange by asking me how my day has been, I respond and then ask her the same question. I’ve spoken to her on multiple occasions before and I know that her favorite thing to talk about is what she has done that day. She tells me how she spent the day in the city with her father. “I fell asleep in the sun,” she happily reports after telling me about how much she loves the warm weather. Benny tells me about what she had for lunch, a soft pretzel and a hot dog. Her dad is smiling alongside her the entire time, letting her lean against his shoulder.
My father is always there for me. He holds my hand when we walk down the street and comforts me when I get nervous. I like to ride on SEPTA buses because I like to talk to people. I am very outgoing and I feel comfortable expressing that all thanks to my father. His presence makes me feel at home.