on the nyc subway in keeping it postive

I went to work midday and the subway was still crowded. When I got on, I stood at the pole and looked at the young lady across from me. She looked like an ex-student of mine (not that I remembered exactly who it was…). She didn’t seem to recognize me, so I let it go.

Standing near me was the tanned, oiled, steroid king. He had long, lanky hair pulled into a ponytail and was talking about how the white people should start killing cops for them to take it seriously. He was talking with a black woman who was seated - she was wearing a head wrap, looked like life had not been especially good to her, and there was a visible scar from a bullet in her neck.

She started to discuss history - there was a REAL Matt Dillon, not the actor nor the character from Gunsmoke, but a real sheriff. Then she started to talk about another personage from history, but when she started to discuss how the Chinese had circled the globe long before Columbus discovered the “New World”, I got into it. This is a topic that fascinates me. I wrote down the author and title of a book about this - by this time the guy was sputtering and totally out of the conversation.

We also discussed Thor Heyerdhal, his theories, how ancient peoples had much more interaction than we’ll ever know about. She was a real world traveler and history buff. I never would’ve guessed any of this by just looking at her.

When that couple got off, the ex-student started talking with me. We discussed my job, her college work and her brother - acts out a LOT - and I gave her some ideas of what can be done to help him manage in the family.

Boy that ride seemed SO short.