I’m on the train between Seattle and Spokane. I’ve just finished writing a paper for this distance ed class I’m taking. Not an earth shattering paper, but a solid one. I say I get 80% on it. I just want to be done.
What a funny thing to do – stop life suddenly. Quit the job and the people and just go into something so unknown, so unguaranteed. That’s not intimidating to me – I don’t think. I don’t know.
Anyway, the train rolls over the tracks, slightly swaying. The sun is setting over my right shoulder. I should be looking outside, but I’m typing. It’s a lot of small town, hills and farms. All the stuff that makes my heart wish to have hatchet and head to the woods to chop me down some trees with some strong yet sensitive and smart lumberjack and we can raise our little crew out in God’s country and plant our crops on God’s soil, and feed our animals off God’s provisions. But just now we are going through a town and there is blockbuster and cosco. Nothing poetic about that.
I am so thirsty. The man across and up one from me has a 6 pack of water, but I won’t ask him. Maybe I’ll use my buck or so in the diner or snack car later. Oh the Diner car lady, my goodness. She gets on the horn and just talks away. You’d think this was her job and she’d have it down pat, but no. She rambles and repeats herself. Just when we think she’s done, she comes back on and says some more. Oh my goodness. She’s back on the horn. Oh yoy.
I don’t have any food either. I did that on purpose. Know when you travel and you eat all that carby stuff and don’t move and then when you finally arrive you feel like garbage and you promise yourself you’ll never do that again but you always do? Well I’m avoiding that by having nothing. Sometimes I’m so smart it hurts. Literally.
What am I doing? Hills, sunsets, trees, a slough, and farms again.
I guess the answer is that I don’t know. Oh, I know – helping Lifeline and Jim Anderson, blah blah blah. We’ve already been through that. Life goes on wherever people are.
Diner lady again. Repeating. Rambling. Repeating.
I miss my sister and her kids. I have Glade and Sparrow on my laptop.
Oh my goodness! Some guy just asked the man up and across from me for some water. What gaul! And he said “sure, go ahead. Take a couple.” And the man did! DIRTBAG! Those were mine! I would never ask. And if offered two, I’d only ever take one.
You know what, life’s good. I’m on the train. I have everything I need. I’m going to a good place. New things. Adventure. There’s a river and a bridge. The train is blaring its horn and cars are stopped for us to pass. I’m another small town away from my old one, but it’s ok. If everyone stayed where they were we’d never have discovery and we’d all be inbreeds. The train is such a romantic way to go. Good night.
Hah! I had to come back. Mr. kitty corner from me, Mr. water bottle you know, well apparently his stop was Wenatchee and I look up and see him looking at me, pillow, newspaper and TWO WATERBOTTLES extended toward me. I say thanks and just take it all. Overwhelmed and quite pleased. What else can I do? We all have little signs over our seats that have the initials for where we are going. He had pity on me and he gave me his stuff. We chatted a little and said good-bye. He had me fascinated this kind old man. I watched him throughout the trip. Harle Davidson shirt and boots, but gentle and intelligent ( I overheard him talking on his cell). Black man with grey hair tied back in ponytail that probably has a specific name because it wasn’t your per usual. Grandpa specs. Tall. Anyway. I got my water after all. MY water. Heh heh.
Comments