This is my third week at my new job. It is also my third week of being a city commuter. I'm sure you're all tired of my commute observations. It seems like most of my new GF's are about this experience. Well . . . OK. Maybe I'm wary of it, too.
But almost all of these GF's come from my observations, and most of my conscious time these days is spent either at my new job or on my commute. So yeah.
For the first time I recognized the overweight guy who swings his one arm waaaaaay too wide when he walked, like he was trying to swat everyone in his path. There's the geeky girl who always seems to be in a daze. There's the guy who looks more than slightly like Garret Dillahunt, who always wears sunglasses even on cloudy days.
And then I realized that I was starting to recognize my fellow commuters. Considering how many people I see every day, especially between Ogilvie and Wacker, that should be impossible. There are so many people on that stretch of road that I would never even consider driving through there at that time. There is no place for motorists in that area in the morning. No, the pedestrian owns that fucking place. If you're in a car you are doomed. I'm sure the suicide rate for cabbies and CTA drivers is pretty high.
Wait a minute. If I'm starting to recognize them, surely they must be recognizing me. Holy shit. What am I to them? The fat guy who sweats even when there's a nice breeze? Or am I thought of as the CROSSED guy because the bag I carry with me at all times is branded that way?
It doesn't matter. Even though we're all just a face in the crowd we are still observed. Therefore we exist. We might not know each others' names, but we are a part of everyone's lives if only on an observational level.
All the more reason to be nice to each other. We share life together. Let's make it through with as little agony as possible.
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