Take the Long Way Home

One thing about NY is that on the subway people tend to keep to themselves.  There isn't a lot of chatter between strangers and everyone is fine with keeping it that way, and most of the time you will find blank stares smeared across their faces with their iPod plugged into their ears.  

Well today on my way home from work I encountered the occasional random-conversationalist that steps onto the train.  This man was talking about how cold it was outside.  Now granted everyone in NY today was a little thrown off by the weather because last weekend it was soo nice out and it is almost unbelievable that we could have one day where the weather is up to 48* and the next day it's down to 30* again.  However, the couple he was talking to were already engaged in conversation with each other and started to give a strange and annoyed look to this man when he approached them with his thoughts.  However, they stopped their conversation and started talking to him.  

The random man started to discuss the current changes in the weather and compare them to last weekend when it was so nice outside.  I overheard him speak of how last weekend kind of gave him the boost of energy he needed to get out of his winter doldrums.  I thought this was interesting because I haven't really had the winter doldrums.  I am still fresh in the city and am excited about discovering new places, bars, and nooks that Manhattan has to offer.   I think the other reason I never really got the winter doldrums was because I'm starting to train for a 1/2 marathon.  Because of this I have been exercising a lot more than I usually do in the winter months; producing fendorphins (fake endorphins), as I like to call them.  

After a couple stops of chatter the man had reached his stop and exited the train, but even after he left I was still thinking about him.  Here it was a Wednesday night around 7pm.  Everyone was cold and tired from work, but this man had so much energy.  So thank you random man for your quirky thoughts and conversation.  You helped bring a smile to my face.  I do appreciate it.

-Blair