I wonder what she's really like. I mean I pass her everyday and everyday it's something different. she paces back and forth in her black, down coat, wth the 80's pattern. Sometimes she just sits there staring and I wonder what she thinks about as she see's people pass by. Maybe she's wondering why she's alive, or why the girl who just passed her looked shamefully toward her and quickly turned her head, lowering her chanel glasses. The change comes when the sun goes down
I walk past her at night and she sings a spanish melody. I can't understand it, but she sings it through a a river of tears that stream from her inset eyes. She gives a concert to nobody but everybody can listen for no charge and I always wonder what pain is inside of her that makes her sing this sad song. I wonder if she lost someone, or she's tired f the same old life on the same old bench.
What makes her different from me?
I wonder if she went to college?
What does she sing about?
Why is she crying?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Perfect Strangers...on a train, a post by Alfred Hitchcock
and that's just me trying to get you to read my new blog post...i mean let's be honest, who would turn down the opportunity to read a post by Alfred Hitchcock?...yep...that's what I thought.
(Disclaimer: Kyle may write a lot about trains, but he does use other modes of transportation.)
Okay so my latest adventure just so happens to take place on yet another Jersey Transit train and thanks to me, they still have business because for 25.00 round trip from Philly, they better be. This story is much different from my others though, and you'll see why.
It was an early Monday morning, and when I say early, we're talking 7am...my least favorite time of day. I hate the morning time, you know...when the sun sears it's way over the horizon and hits you right in the face and you want to shoot someone...but alas, I digress, I fumbled for my glasses in a fatal attempt to see, because God blessed me with bad eye site. I threw on some clothes, hopped in the car and it was off to NYC...again...a process I was all too familiar with. As I rushed to get my train ticket, accidentally knocking down an old lady, but graciously helping her up, I finally fell into the nice uncomfortable, maroon seat on my way to the city.
I must pause here to tell you a bad habit I have. I like sitting alone...that's right...two seats all to my greedy, American self. But the train always gets packed and I get mad. I use a variety of tactics to avoid people. I 1. put a coat on the seat next to me as if to non verbally imply "Someone is already here, they're just peeing all over themselves in the rocky bathroom" (see post 2) 2. I avoid friendly eye contact as much as possible. 3. I pretend like I'm sleeping from stop to stop so that when a new wave of people get on, they think "oh, he's sleeping...I wouldn't wanna wake him just to sit in an uncomfortable maroon seat on my way to NYC." But on this particular occasion options 1,2, and three were not available. (Note: I even wore my Phillies hat in an attempt to repel any Mets fans)
so I began to read a book called "Changing Perspectives: The Semester at Sea Experience." I was paging through happily smiling until some attractive 30 something says in a gruff morning voice, "Excuse me." I glared up and my smile faded...I began to move my stuff from the seat next to me, to the racks above...angrily grunting under my breath. so she sits down next to me and I continue to read my attractive coffee table book, and I thought it would be nice to look out the window to my left. Just as I did that, the light of heaven had shone through the window.
She was like an angel, and my eyes caught hers. There was this moment between us, and she smiled at me.
"Wait, did you do Semester at Sea," she sang.
"Yes," I smiled bashfully..."did you?"
"Spring 04 and I miss it everyday," she responded as her jet black hair bounced slightly in her face.
"Yeah, spring 07 and I'm still depressed." We both laughed a little.
This conversation carried on for about an hour. We talked about how she was from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and how she stumbled upon the program and it, like my voyage, changed her life. We talked about world policy, the UN National convention being in town, and on and on. We got to know each other so well in that hour and a half, and just like the way she appeared, she was soon swept up in the crowd of people heading for the nearest stairwell. We exchanged phone numbers and that was it...in a puff of angelic smoke, she was engulfed by the people around her, "I'll see you around," she shouted through the crowd.
The moral of this story is that through one tiny interaction on an otherwise routine part of my daily life, I met someone else with an interesting story. Always be aware of that...wherever you are, the people around you are probably really interesting, fun....or crazy....or homeless. Regardless, They may have some cool stories to share with you... so Be on the look out and reach out and touch someone....but not literally, because that would be assault and you all are too young for a federal offense. In the mean time, traveling on a train can be a lot more fun than you think...
The Traffic Dodger
(Disclaimer: Kyle may write a lot about trains, but he does use other modes of transportation.)
Okay so my latest adventure just so happens to take place on yet another Jersey Transit train and thanks to me, they still have business because for 25.00 round trip from Philly, they better be. This story is much different from my others though, and you'll see why.
It was an early Monday morning, and when I say early, we're talking 7am...my least favorite time of day. I hate the morning time, you know...when the sun sears it's way over the horizon and hits you right in the face and you want to shoot someone...but alas, I digress, I fumbled for my glasses in a fatal attempt to see, because God blessed me with bad eye site. I threw on some clothes, hopped in the car and it was off to NYC...again...a process I was all too familiar with. As I rushed to get my train ticket, accidentally knocking down an old lady, but graciously helping her up, I finally fell into the nice uncomfortable, maroon seat on my way to the city.
I must pause here to tell you a bad habit I have. I like sitting alone...that's right...two seats all to my greedy, American self. But the train always gets packed and I get mad. I use a variety of tactics to avoid people. I 1. put a coat on the seat next to me as if to non verbally imply "Someone is already here, they're just peeing all over themselves in the rocky bathroom" (see post 2) 2. I avoid friendly eye contact as much as possible. 3. I pretend like I'm sleeping from stop to stop so that when a new wave of people get on, they think "oh, he's sleeping...I wouldn't wanna wake him just to sit in an uncomfortable maroon seat on my way to NYC." But on this particular occasion options 1,2, and three were not available. (Note: I even wore my Phillies hat in an attempt to repel any Mets fans)
so I began to read a book called "Changing Perspectives: The Semester at Sea Experience." I was paging through happily smiling until some attractive 30 something says in a gruff morning voice, "Excuse me." I glared up and my smile faded...I began to move my stuff from the seat next to me, to the racks above...angrily grunting under my breath. so she sits down next to me and I continue to read my attractive coffee table book, and I thought it would be nice to look out the window to my left. Just as I did that, the light of heaven had shone through the window.
She was like an angel, and my eyes caught hers. There was this moment between us, and she smiled at me.
"Wait, did you do Semester at Sea," she sang.
"Yes," I smiled bashfully..."did you?"
"Spring 04 and I miss it everyday," she responded as her jet black hair bounced slightly in her face.
"Yeah, spring 07 and I'm still depressed." We both laughed a little.
This conversation carried on for about an hour. We talked about how she was from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and how she stumbled upon the program and it, like my voyage, changed her life. We talked about world policy, the UN National convention being in town, and on and on. We got to know each other so well in that hour and a half, and just like the way she appeared, she was soon swept up in the crowd of people heading for the nearest stairwell. We exchanged phone numbers and that was it...in a puff of angelic smoke, she was engulfed by the people around her, "I'll see you around," she shouted through the crowd.
The moral of this story is that through one tiny interaction on an otherwise routine part of my daily life, I met someone else with an interesting story. Always be aware of that...wherever you are, the people around you are probably really interesting, fun....or crazy....or homeless. Regardless, They may have some cool stories to share with you... so Be on the look out and reach out and touch someone....but not literally, because that would be assault and you all are too young for a federal offense. In the mean time, traveling on a train can be a lot more fun than you think...
The Traffic Dodger
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