The map of the Land shows a main road that forms a rough loop. My impression, then, was that the bus at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival -- the shuttle -- followed that big loop. The first time I hopped on a shuttle, year 2, I sat there on the side bench trying to make heads or tails of the map above the driver. It showed a line, not a circle, and I didn't yet have a geographic understanding of the various stops by name.
I asked the womyn sitting on the bench with me how long it would take the shuttle to get to the parking lot. (I wasn't going to the parking lot, but I thought it would be useful information for later in the week.) There was some cross-discussion and a little consternation. "This shuttle doesn't go to the parking lot," they said. But I thought the road was a big circle! Those kind womyn finally managed to make me see that the diagram showed two bus routes: one dark green and one dark purple (I hadn't even noticed that the line switched color in the middle). The shuttle with the purple awning for a roof was one route; it went (I think!) Downtown as far as the Acoustic Stage, then turned around and came back. The shuttle with the green awning was the other route; it went all the way to Parking, then turned around and came back. As always on the Land, I was kindly educated by womyn about this long-established culture I'd chosen to enter. All I had to do was ask, and then listen, listen, listen.
As we rattled along, the womyn and I made small talk and laughed. Womyn hopped on and off at the stops. Womyn squished over to make room. There was always a chorus of "So, where are you from?" "This is your first time? Welcome!" "How's your Fest going?" There were smiles, chatter, the day-to-day comfortable talk that feels so much like home. "Honey, I filled the cooler." "Did you put the chairs by the kitchen?" "No, Maia, you can't put on your costume until after we wash your feet."
I don't remember the individuals now, although I retain vague impressions: a couple who were there for the first time, from Texas, and were confused and awestruck; a womon carrying a drum in a case that was almost as big as she was; Gaia girls jumping on and off, or sitting on the back and swinging their legs and laughing together.
I live in a city. I never see little girls ride the bus alone. What empowerment!
All week that second year, I rode shuttles. I loved them! Not to mention, I finally realized: they weren't there to get us places much faster than we could get there by walking. They were there to save our feet and legs, to leave us more energy for dancing or a late-night walk in the woods.
I can't wait for August, when I'll sit and chat, when I'll scoot over to make room for womyn with drums or I'll up to sit on the rail so a sister and her child can have the bench. I'm looking forward to watching the slow green progress of the Land while the shuttles bump along.
It was the listening to womyn that got me there.
