Random thoughts on a blustery morning

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 8:07 a.m.

There was a woman going up the stairs to the "el" station blocking everyone behind her. She was going very slowly and seemed to have no urgency about her. Both trains - north and south-bound - were standing right there, doors open. I was getting annoyed wanting to get on that train (which I bolted right past her) but then had a small admiration for this woman. She was making her own pace and nothing was going to change it. She probably has no more hurry in her like my friend Sid who was a bike messenger for many years and said that all the hurry had left him.

Here is a quote from the book I was reading, Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:

They continued to make hurried, heartless siesta love in the evangelical
shade of the orange trees.

While reading this lovely passage, I was struck that I was sitting next to someone. Part of this blog made me realize that most of the time, I am sitting there reading my paper or book and someone inevitably sits by me. I rarely notice if it is a man or woman, tall or short, what color their hair is - if any at all, etc. I did look up from my book to make notice that I was sitting next to a white man in his 30s wearing those wrap around your head earmuffs.