Public transit encounters
To the guy I met on the train from Princeton Junction to Trenton, 6/8/07,
You won me over right away by coming up to me and saying "Hi. Looks like you're the only other young person on this train. Mind if I join you?" Lover of random encounters that I am, I wasn't about to turn you down. You said that you were going to your first Revolutionary War Re-Enactment in Bordentown, pointed out the buckle shoes you'd been breaking in for weeks. Made all your own clothing and everything, you said proudly. You showed me your sketchbook and the book you were reading (this one), and I showed you my songbooks and Illuminatus! You got really excited about Illuminatus, asked me if I'd ever read any Umberto Eco. Told you I hadn't, and that my to-read shelf is looking daunting at the moment, but maybe I'll get to it sometime.
We talked a little about where we'd come from at the beginning of the day. You'd come from helping your parents at the Union Square Green Market in New York, before that from home in remote North Jersey, a farm, "home of the best bread and cheese in the world." (Judging by the cranberry-walnut bread you gave me, I'd sure believe it). Mentioned that you spend lots of Fridays hanging out in New York, after working at the market for a while, that you also love cities and want to live in one at some point. At home going to community college now, you explained, ("my parents say they need me around"), but maybe, someday.
We got off at Trenton with lots of time to kill before my next train, so I went out with you to point the way towards the Riverline. Your train left just seconds after you got your ticket, so I didn't get a chance to get any contact info for you. But, on the extremely off chance that you should encounter this, or generally share my stalkerish tendencies-this is to let you know that you were awesome, and that I'll be looking for you and your cranberry walnut bread when I'm in New York this Friday morning. And maybe, with any luck at all, you will be there and I'll get your e-mail address this time.
Tiredly, Hopefully,
Anna
You won me over right away by coming up to me and saying "Hi. Looks like you're the only other young person on this train. Mind if I join you?" Lover of random encounters that I am, I wasn't about to turn you down. You said that you were going to your first Revolutionary War Re-Enactment in Bordentown, pointed out the buckle shoes you'd been breaking in for weeks. Made all your own clothing and everything, you said proudly. You showed me your sketchbook and the book you were reading (this one), and I showed you my songbooks and Illuminatus! You got really excited about Illuminatus, asked me if I'd ever read any Umberto Eco. Told you I hadn't, and that my to-read shelf is looking daunting at the moment, but maybe I'll get to it sometime.
We talked a little about where we'd come from at the beginning of the day. You'd come from helping your parents at the Union Square Green Market in New York, before that from home in remote North Jersey, a farm, "home of the best bread and cheese in the world." (Judging by the cranberry-walnut bread you gave me, I'd sure believe it). Mentioned that you spend lots of Fridays hanging out in New York, after working at the market for a while, that you also love cities and want to live in one at some point. At home going to community college now, you explained, ("my parents say they need me around"), but maybe, someday.
We got off at Trenton with lots of time to kill before my next train, so I went out with you to point the way towards the Riverline. Your train left just seconds after you got your ticket, so I didn't get a chance to get any contact info for you. But, on the extremely off chance that you should encounter this, or generally share my stalkerish tendencies-this is to let you know that you were awesome, and that I'll be looking for you and your cranberry walnut bread when I'm in New York this Friday morning. And maybe, with any luck at all, you will be there and I'll get your e-mail address this time.
Tiredly, Hopefully,
Anna