Deciding to See

Deciding to See: The View from Nathan's Bus  is an eye-opening, inspiring, and hopeful linked-essay collection recounting the amazing everyday encounters of city bus driver, Nathan Vass whose life's motto is if you give kindness, you'll get kindness. Vass tests this theory on the roughest nighttime routes in Seattle. The results illuminate the challenges of poverty, homelessness, and crossing class boundaries. Vass intertwines personal stories of trauma from his survival of the 2015 Paris terror attacks, showing that we are all struggling with tragedy. These brief but meaningful encounters foster healing for everyone involved. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when he chooses to see the beauty of each person who steps onto his bus. Come along for the ride.

Part I: From Darkness to Light– p. 7
                      1. This Happens Too / 7 / 4. 6. 15
                      2. Not Because It Is Easy / E line / 4. 7. 22
                      3. The Day the Earth Stood Still / 70 / 5. 3. 17
                      4. Figuring It All Out in the Bullpen / — / 8. 4. 16
                      5. King Trevor / 7 / 7. 6. 19
                      6. Compton, Gently / — / 7. 6. 03
                      7. Chosen / 7 / 10. 24. 18
                      8. Our Lady of Context / 7 / 2. 6. 20
                      9. Of Angels and Alcohol / 49 / 11. 29. 15
Part II: The Things We Carry– p. 32
                      10. Paris / — / 11. 13. 15
                      11. Aaoghuu / 124 / 10. 23. 13
                      12. In China / — / 1. 3. 12
                      13. In Praise of Silver Hair / 7 / 4. 30. 15
                      14. Lulit / 36 / 5. 18. 14
                      15. Conversing with My Colleagues: I / 41 / 4. 21. 17
                      16. It’ s Neutral Beige’ s Night / 49 / 10. 25. 14
                      17. Love Is in the Air / 7 / 9. 21. 15
                      18. The Bullet Train / 49 / 2. 9. 18
                      19. Place de Ré publique / — / 11. 14. 15
                      20. In Supplication / 7 / 9. 2. 15
                      21. Richard / 49 / 1. 2. 18
                      22. I Bet You Approve uh Gay Marriage! / 4 / 9. 23. 13
                      23. Kind Heart / 10 / 8. 15. 13
Part III: The Children Inside– p. 68
                      24. Eulogy for the Damned / — / 5. 23. 19
                      25. The Question / 7 / 2. 2. 17
                      26. In Napoli / — / 1. 8. 15
                      27. The Nameless Heroes / — / 12. 10. 09
                      28. Islamofriendia / 7 / 12. 13. 15
                      29. AngryNice / 7 / 5. 1. 16
                      30. I’ ll Still Do It Again, the Same Way / 7 / 3. 1. 18
                      31. Bravado / 49 / 5. 1. 20
                      32. The Knife’ s Edge Dance / 7 / 3. 24. 17
                      33. Private / 70 / 9. 24. 15
                      34. Slow Healer / 120 / 5. 14. 18
                      35. The Soulful Stench / 12 / 7. 13. 17
Part IV: Quotidian Highs– p. 102
                      36. The Benevolent Roar / 7 / 7. 24. 16
                      37. What Counts for a Pass / 49 / 10. 16. 19
                      38. The Antidote / E Line / 1. 26. 22
                      39. FunnyTragicScaryEndearing / — / 11. 7. 16
                      40. Both Ways / — / 11. 21. 15
                      41. Tending to the Living / — / 12. 11. 19
                      42. Our Lady of Miracles / 7 / 6. 15. 20
                      43. Conversing with My Colleagues: II / 41 / 11. 21. 19
                      44. Poker Face Practice / 49 / 1. 23. 16
                      45. Vern:   / 7 / 5. 28. 20
                      46. Just the Two of Us, Gruffly / — / 6. 14. 19
                      47. Saint Gladness / E Line / 6. 6. 18
Part V: Hard Times– p. 136
                      48. Poem for the Walking Dead / 3 / 12. 16. 23
                      49. She’ s on Fire / 49 / 10. 4. 19
                      50. Something Early / E Line / 11. 23. 21
                      51. Truthfulness, the Final Currency / 49 / 7. 23. 16
                      52. Dawit / 41 / 7. 13. 14
                      53. On Terror and Other Things / — / 10. 3. 17
                      54. AngryNice, Again / 7 / 7. 7. 16
                      55. To Thrive, Meanwhile / 49 / 6. 24. 20
                      56. The Dawn of Time / — / 4. 11. 18
                      57. Jessica Lee / 7 / 2. 19. 20
                      58. Saddest Music in the World / 36 / 9. 11. 16
                      59. This, Too, Happens / 49 / 6. 10. 20
Part VI: Softly, While We Still Can– p. 170
                      60. Kindness in the Days of After / 49 / 7. 22. 18
                      61. Why So Serious / 49 / 6. 29. 20
                      62. She Did It on a Monday / 7 / 2. 28. 15
                      63. With What Time We Have / — / November 2015
                      64. Deserve, the Concept and the Song / 7 / 9. 18. 17
                      65. Go Forth / 21 / 5. 5. 19
                      66. 21st-Century Man / 120 / 8. 30. 19
                      67. Vern: II / 7 / 5. 28. 20
                      68. The Problem We All Live With / — / 12. 25. 14
                      69. A Given Thing / 49 / 12. 25. 17
Part VII: You Won’ t Always Be Around– p. 193
                      70. Details on a Day Off / 41 / 2. 8. 17
                      71. Details, Continued / 41 / 2. 8. 17
                      72. The Child / — / 7. 1. 18
                      73. Better to Suffer Hardship Than Cause It / 75 / 12. 22. 21
                      74. Ah, Volume / 7 / 5. 29. 18
                      75. The Glow / — / 6. 6. 19
                      76. On Acing It / 49 / 6. 9. 24
                      77. AJ / — / 6. 3. 20
                      78. The Child: II / 7 / 8. 31. 17
                      79. Clean-Shaven Revelation / 7 / 3. 31. 20
                      80. The Veterinarian / 21 / Summer 2019
                      81. Alonzo Rising / — / 6. 8. 19
                      82. It’ s About Who’ s Around / 7 / 10. 10. 20
                      83. Reflective / — / 12. 31. 18
Epilogue– p. 233