Sometimes, someone you know or someone you don’t know will say something or do something, and the next thing you know, you find yourself waking up on the express bus to self-abandonment.
When that happens, pull the signal for the next stop. Gently get up. Pat your pockets. Carefully look around to make sure you’ve got your belongings (and that you haven’t picked up anyone else's, mistaking it for yours in error). Inhale. Exhale. Then, consciously exit the bus.
Fyi, you might find yourself on that same bus many more times during the rest of that day or in the days, weeks, or months to come.
It’s okay.
It’s the abandonment of you by you that you really have to keep an eye out for.
So, when you realize it, signal for the next stop. Consciously get your affairs in order. Inhale. Exhale. And gently keep exiting with yourself in tow.