The public bus that goes from Elmhurst, Queens, NY to Queens Village is filled with different people from different backgrounds. A young teenager named Ted goes to Elmhurst Arts High School every weeknight and then spends his afterschool days drawing and painting very gothic and hard rock art. In his life, Ted never took things slow; he’s always in a rush, so energetic and stressed out about everyday life like homework and schoolwork. A middle-aged woman named Nin-Nin spends her days working at a JCPenney store, making sure the products are neat and tidy, especially the toys and clothes. One Thursday evening, around 6 pm on a cool fall night, the two got on the Q88, not knowing that this ride is about to get interesting. Ted got bored on the bus so quickly, so he decided to rock on to his energetic music. Meanwhile Nin-Nin, is not the hard rock musical type and she is the more calm and quiet type. Nin-Nin fell asleep on the bus as usual. During the ride, Ted’s wireless headphones and iPhone died, leaving him nothing but boredom. Ted complained that he’s bored and there’s nothing to do on the bus. Being awoken by Ted’s complaints and obnoxiousness, Nin-Nin said, “I’ll tell you a story from my Gen X teenage years”. Unlike the loud and awesomeness of Gen Xers, Nin-Nin always take things easy. She revels in the moment surrounding her, cherishing it every day. She tells Ted that she has been working at JCPenney for thirty years and every night when she leaves from work, she just looks outside the windows and enjoy herself with some calmness from the dark outdoors that eventually makes her fall asleep. Ted starts to look outside at the calm and sleepy neighborhoods at the windows. Eventually, he starts to fall asleep. When the bus said, “Next stop: Horace Harding Parkway”, Ted immediately woke up and got off the bus feeling relaxed and more laid back, thanks to a new friend named Nin-Nin. After the encounter, the two became friends and talked about what was going on in their everyday life every weeknight.
About
Professor: Jessica Penner
Email: creative.writing.citytech2@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 AM – 1 PM. I’ll be available through Zoom and will send an invitation via email that you should keep all semester. Try to join my meeting at the start of the hour, not at the end—since I may be talking to other students or have another appointment after the hour is up. If those times don’t work with your schedule, we can schedule a different time. This means you’ll have to schedule an appointment in advance via email. I suggest you have multiple times in mind, since your schedule may not mesh with mine!
Sharing
Logged-in faculty members can clone this course. Learn More!
Search This Course
Find Library Materials
Library Information
Ursula C. Schwerin Library
New York City College of Technology, C.U.N.Y
300 Jay Street, Library Building - 4th Floor
Leave a Reply