In a Station of the Metro

For those of you who like me seem to spend most of your week on transit you will know what it is to partake in 'people watching'. Sometimes I'm really struck by the amount of people who we cross paths with on a daily basis. We have no idea what kind of lives they lead and what kind of stories their lives consist of. Transit commutes seem so mechanical and inhumane. During peak hours I honestly feel like we are being herded around like cattle. But once in a while you connect with a passer-by, usually in simple ways but it's always so surprising and powerful. It reminds you that we cross paths with real people everyday.

I wrote this on a ride home almost a year ago: I saw a young woman sitting and talking to a young man on the bus. She had a little girl on her lap and a little boy sitting by her. The little boy gazed at the man as he spoke and grew more comfortable around him. The boy soon asked the man if he could sit on his lap and the man said, "No you're a big boy." The boy went and sat near the woman looking dejected and looked up at me. As our eyes met I felt deeply for the child who was refused affection when he sought it and was told that he was too old for such things. Later on the woman asked the boy if he was okay and wrapped an arm around him. The boy responded by snuggling deeper into her side and resting there. My heart wrung with love and concern for that woman holding those two children. I wondered what her story was and how she was managing. I wondered if she had a husband, boyfriend or parent(s) who were helping her. I wondered how the kids were doing. I wondered what their young eyes had seen and whether they felt safe and loved.