I take a commuter train to work. I’ve mentioned this in a previous post. On the homebound trip, some people immediately get up when the train pulls out of the station preceding theirs, exit the car and stand on the platform at the end of the car, at the top of the steps leading out. It’s noisy and unsteady. You can see the ground rushing by through the spaces where the cars are joined. Of course, when the doors open, they’re first out. They run, and I mean literally sprint, to their car, start the engine, slam it into drive and speed out of the parking lot. First.
Here’s the thing: it’s not that big a station. We are not hundreds getting off the train. Traffic does not back up for miles. Yes, it’s a little slow. If you leave last (yours truly here, because the wait is an opportunity to read) it’s ten minutes, tops, to the main road and from there a minute the highway. Side-note: when a foot of snow has fallen or, better, freezing rain, it’s a snafu of remarkable proportions for them. But fun to watch.
So why the rush? Is your schedule that tight? Is this temporary or is every single day of your life like this? For how long? Have you thought about making a change? Is that possible? How can you stand it? Isn’t this stressful? Is it me?
Are there more questions than answers here? Yes, that’s why it’s called the confusion chronicles.
Photo by Nicolai Berntsen on Unsplash
What wonderful observations.
I must confess that I was once one of those sprinters. The only difference is that I let my car warm up.
The reason I did it was: 1) Every second saved went toward every second that I could get as sleep.
2) I hated being part of the herd… like cattle or worse imagining that we were going to a concentration camp and being thankful that was not the case.
So by running out in front of the herd I kept my freedom.
đşđşđş
Interesting you chose to do this. I assumed that the people I observed had no choice. Good to have another POV.