the train

Every weekday morning, statutory holidays excluded, I take the train (SkyTrain) into work which means about 35 minutes on the rails after we disembark from the short bus ride to the SkyTrain station at Braid in Sapperton. By the time we are half or more of the way into town it can get rather packed and by the time the train reaches Joyce station, certainly so. Other times it can be packed full of people on their way to work or school from the start. As a result, people can get crowded together closely, rather intimately. Some are comfortable with this, some just accept it and others aren't comfortable with this situation at all. Those that are uncomfortable with it just move back a bit.

Then there are some you'd really not get close to but you have no choice in the matter (well, actually you do, but this would involve taking the bus instead of the train and a longer ride to work but I digress). At Joyce there are a lot of people that push their way onto the train. Well, months ago there was a middle-aged asian guy that got on and the odour was just bearable for me though I tried very hard not to breathe too deeply. It was a combination of body odour and the smell of moth balls (the overcoat was probably not drycleaned in ages!). All the while there was another asian, a woman, that asked me how I could stand it and she was rolling her eyes! I just shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes as well. She and others got off a few stops later, including the guy, and then mine was a bit further on, so we all survived to tell the tale.

Other times its more pleasant, if you know what I mean. This morning a young asian, a handsome enough of a guy, got on. It was crowded as usual. We were both standing near the door. He was sort of facing me but a bit off to my right with his right arm extended around me and around my left shoulder to hold the corner to my left in order to steady himself, just short of hugging me. It was rather intimate and he apologized but he needn't have. It didn't bother me in the slightest and he made no effort to move either, so it can't have bothered him either. During the five minute ride to the next station our bodies would touch each other lightly with every swaying movement of the train. It was rather pleasant but even better if it had been a boyfriend, but nice just the same. I was even getting a bit turned on by it all! As short as it was, it was better than spending time together with someone with an odour problem as my previous example points out. We do what we have to do and enjoy the pleasures in life when they do cross our paths. Enough about my travels on the train for now.

So, here it's past my bedtime and getting rather late. Hopefully your life has its pleasures to enjoy, so make the most of them when the opportunity arises. Meantime, have a great night and an awesome remaining work week (if you're working) or enjoy life whatever you're doing! More later!!! - V.