community of strangers
it's a commonality in "real life" that perfect strangers pass each other everyday without bothering to smile, nod, or anything else that would dare tip the scales towards acquaintance. but are strangers still strangers when we see them everyday?
it occurred to me while waiting for the subway the other day, as i do every morning in the same spot at the same relative time, that i have become rather familiar with many of my fellow commuters that share my morning routine. there is the homely businesswoman always buried in her blackberry, the yuppie/hipster girls and boys (the ones that try too hard, and the ones that get it right), the ex-reality star, the handful of coworkers that i am acquainted with, and the other handful of coworkers whom i've never met and pretend not to recognize when i see them on the elevators in the building (and they do the same).
of course the cast rotates on a daily basis. none of us are quite routinized enough to get there at the same time everyday, but when i don't see one of them for awhile, i can't help but wonder where they might be. new apartment? new job? new route? and when i do see them, i find myself passing the time by questioning where they might work...i assume media or entertainment (because really, who else goes into work after 10)? where do they live exactly in the radius of 23rd and broadway? how old? what are their names? all of which are questions that i doubt i'll ever know the answers to.
in hollywood, many movies and shows begin when perfect strangers are forced by some circumstance to interact and inevitably become perfect friends (or perfect enemies...that ultimately become friends and/or lovers that live happily ever after, of course). in reality, it's unlikely that anyone in my little commuter-world will bridge that invisible barrier of personal space that is so sacred (especially in new york, and especially on the subway). yet there is comfort in being part of this odd community of strangers. there are 7.99 million people in this city that i may pass once and never regard again. but, when my stranger friends inevitably disappear for good, i think i may in fact miss them, even if just for a moment.
it occurred to me while waiting for the subway the other day, as i do every morning in the same spot at the same relative time, that i have become rather familiar with many of my fellow commuters that share my morning routine. there is the homely businesswoman always buried in her blackberry, the yuppie/hipster girls and boys (the ones that try too hard, and the ones that get it right), the ex-reality star, the handful of coworkers that i am acquainted with, and the other handful of coworkers whom i've never met and pretend not to recognize when i see them on the elevators in the building (and they do the same).
of course the cast rotates on a daily basis. none of us are quite routinized enough to get there at the same time everyday, but when i don't see one of them for awhile, i can't help but wonder where they might be. new apartment? new job? new route? and when i do see them, i find myself passing the time by questioning where they might work...i assume media or entertainment (because really, who else goes into work after 10)? where do they live exactly in the radius of 23rd and broadway? how old? what are their names? all of which are questions that i doubt i'll ever know the answers to.
in hollywood, many movies and shows begin when perfect strangers are forced by some circumstance to interact and inevitably become perfect friends (or perfect enemies...that ultimately become friends and/or lovers that live happily ever after, of course). in reality, it's unlikely that anyone in my little commuter-world will bridge that invisible barrier of personal space that is so sacred (especially in new york, and especially on the subway). yet there is comfort in being part of this odd community of strangers. there are 7.99 million people in this city that i may pass once and never regard again. but, when my stranger friends inevitably disappear for good, i think i may in fact miss them, even if just for a moment.
posted by mark at 1:46 PM
1 Comments:
wonderful, my stranger friend.
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