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I Just Thought I Wanted to Eavesdrop Again
A train ride reminds me that hours spent in the company of strangers isn’t always a joy ride
“I miss overhearing other people’s conversations,” I said during the long months of Covid lockdowns and restrictions. “Won’t it be wonderful when we can travel again and enjoy those random odd comments we overhear from strangers.”
I managed to forget back in the deep dark days before a vaccine brought dawning but limited hope to the land how dull most of these conversations are.
“Yes, hi Mabel. This is me. I’m on the train to Boston. Yes, yes, I have plenty of time to talk. We are only in Delaware. Isn’t it amazing we can talk like this while I’m speeding across the country on a train? Isn’t technology something?”
“Hi, Frances. This is me. Yeah, I was just talking to Mabel. I’m on the train…”
Repeat the above conversation over and over switching out only the names and current locations. I’m sitting directly behind Mabel’s bestie and although I know in theory we are indeed speeding towards our destination — or at least speeding as fast as an American train ever speeds given our stubborn refusal to invest in bullet train technology — it feels like we will never reach our destination.
