Thanks to everyone who sent me a supportive note yesterday. That was so lovely of you! Today’s post is a lot more upbeat.
I’ve written about riding on trains here before, but I never tire of train rides, or thinking about why I like them. One of the cool things about riding trains is the chance for little random encounters. The tension level these days is much lower on a train than on an airplane, for obvious reasons, so people are generally more relaxed and open. Also, the seats are roomy, nobody is in a great hurry, and most people seem to be having a great time watching the scenery go by.
Besides, you can alway go to the café car and start a conversation with the person behind the counter. These people generally seem to be upbeat and happy to see you, like Tom Hanks’ character in Polar Express, only without that whole creepy animated mannequin thing.
On the AMTRAK express train down from New York to Washington D.C. I ordered something from the jovial, if rather spaced out, woman behind the counter in the café car.
She looked nice, so I smiled. She smiled back. I gave her my order, she went to get the order. A moment later she turned and came back and asked me what I’d ordered. So I gave her my order again.
She smiled apologetically and said “I guess I’m in my own world”.
Then I said (I don’t know why – it just popped out) “Better to be in your own world than in somebody else’s world.”
She liked that so much she repeated it out loud to herself – twice – while she was getting my order ready.
I told her, truthfully, “I made that up just now, for you.”
She got very excited about that. “Really, you did?” she asked, “You should copyright that!”
Then I didn’t know what to say. So I wished the nice woman a great weekend and left her a good tip.
What else was I to do?