people watch

it's the typical story: i ride the subway to and from work every rush-hour morning and evening. usually, i fall asleep. or sometimes, i manage to stay awake and read my latest newsweek or some other magazine or book.

but today, i looked up.

some people say that subways and public transportation are primarily built for the lower income populations. in all honesty, i think that's a bunch of boloney. public transportation is for the convenience of the urbanites: it's easy and straightforward, and it brings revenue to the city. it's better for the environment, it reduces traffic and angry drivers, and it makes sense. and in some ways, it equates us all. no one's sitting in a mercedes versus a chevrolet; everyone's sitting on orange vinyl seats.

so today, on my evening commute home, midway through reading, i glanced up at the other passengers in the train. most everyone was in dark coats and dress pants, shiny shoes. some had fallen asleep against the windowpanes; others stared blankly into the aisles, lost in their own thoughts and lives and worries. a middle-aged woman with 4 gold rings and two purses sat uncomfortably close to a younger, but weary, woman wrapped tightly in a warm jacket. one man, possibly hispanic, sat staring at the ground, dressed in a nice gray coat, tan pants, and black shoes, but with a multi-colored scarf laying in his lap. another woman, red lipstick and fancy upturned collar, shifted her weight and revealed her book of choice: a tattered, library copy of the latest harry potter. a tall man stood near the doors of the train, looking out the window: he had a full mustache and beard, gray-tinted and harsh.. but i wondered if maybe he was the type of guy whose eyes twinkled when he smiled. another guy, younger, maybe in his late 20s grinned in conversation with his taller, blonder friend.


every once in a while, it's nice to un-absorb yourself from the daily grind and own ponderous musings to look around. people are interesting... crazy and annoying, loving and stupid, but undeniably interesting.

i wonder if anyone else was watching.