Perfect Strangers...

So today, on the train, I was just sitting in my seat listening to my headphones. As per usual. I normally just sit there enjoying my music and my thoughts. Today, a man got on the train, and sat in the seat right across from mine. I gave him that traditional "I'm not a threat" smile that we Americans seem to feel is necessary whenever we come face to face with a stranger. He grinned back at me and as he sat down, he asked me a question about my shirt.

It's green, with a shamrock and the word "Irish" printed across the front in large white letters. He said: "So, are you Irish?" (Oddly enough, this is not the first time that shirt has sparked that exact question) I took out one of my ear buds and said: "No, I got this shirt in New York when we were there for St. Patrick's Day a couple of years ago." He smiled, and his eyes lit up, "New York? I'm from New York. Upstate." He asked me a few questions, if I was familiar with the upstate area, that kind of thing. I said no, we'd only been in New York for a few days, and we'd spent our whole visit in the Manhattan area. He nodded, then went back to his book. I put my ear buds in and went back to looking out the window.

A few minutes later, my new friend seemed to finish what he was reading, closed his book and looked up at me again. He nodded at my backpack, "Are you a student?" I smiled, took out my ear buds again and said, "Yes, I am." He asked me about my major, and my interests. I asked him how long he'd been in Utah, if he liked it here, and he told me how he wanted to go back to school. He's into computers, and wants to learn more about them and how to counter the attempts of hackers and other security breaches.

There was no awkward small talk, just a nice conversation. He was like a favorite uncle, not a stranger. Very warm and sincere. (His name is William, in case you were wondering).

When we parted ways, William shook my hand and said: "Well it was nice to meet you, Candice. You're lovely. Best of luck to you." I wished the same to him, and that was it. I doubt I'll ever see him again.

Anyway, today's encounter has made me think about how such conversations are really becoming a thing of the past. (Interestingly enough, Ty and I were talking about this just the other night). Thanks to cell phones, tablets, and headphones of all shapes and sizes, we--the human race--have effectively cut ourselves off from the world around us.

It used to be the norm for people--when forced to sit next to each other on trains, buses, and airplanes--to start a conversation. Awkward and forced at first, but then as the minutes pass by they start talking about their home lives, family, friends, work, hobbies...knowing they'd probably never see each other again. Just wanting to connect with a fellow human being--however fleeting that connection might be.

Now, because of the internet and the many mobile devices that allow us to instantly "connect" with other people, we no longer feel the need or desire to make face-to-face contact with the people immediately available to us. We just ignore them, and they ignore us. It's kind of sad, really, how easily we've forgotten just how enjoyable it can be to sit and talk to a nice person--whether we know them well or not.

I for one, am very glad I chose to take out my ear buds long enough to enjoy a 10 minute conversation with William today. It really started my whole Wednesday off on the best possible foot.

Another Friday Night Post...

Geez! A lot of crazy stuff has been going on. I don't even remember most of the details, but I'll try to give the highlights...

First off, I got my first C+ on a test in...well...too long ago to remember exactly. It was the first exam in my Speech Science class. You can imagine my shock when I saw that big red "77/100" at the top of my test. Not to mention the pure, unadulterated devastation that followed as I saw all the stupid little mistakes I had made to lose me all those points. My grade in that class is still salvageable, but it's going to take a LOT of hard work--not to mention a nearly flawless record on all future homework assignments and tests. Ugh. 

Honestly, this class has kind of been a bit overwhelming for me. From the very first day, I would sit there in class, taking notes and listening to the professor and my mind would just be in a stupor. It was as though it was saying to me: "Yeah, you're on your own, Hon. I got nothin'." Ugh. 

BUT the good news here is that over the past couple of class periods, I have been experiencing little sparks of understanding--and I'm kind of feeling like I just might be starting to wrap my mind around some of this stuff. It kind of scares me a bit, really. With a LOT of extra studying and some real, concentrated concentration, I just might get through this class.

Next on the list of crazy stuff is the fact that Ty's work has been in a bit of upheaval over the past week or so. It's kind of complicated, but I'll try to sum it up as best I can.

Ty started work in one department of his store. He rose quickly to the level of manager. Then there was a company-wide restructuring of every store and Ty's job changed. He moved to a different department--at the same pay level and by his request. In the meantime, his old department has fallen apart and now the store director has all but whitewashed the management team and asked Ty to come back. So now he's moved, and while he's in management again and the pay is better, the hours are much longer and later and the job is very demanding. It will take some getting used to, but I have no doubt in my mind that he will easily rise to the occasion. He's that awesome.

Another crazy thing is that Ty and I are approaching our 12th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I guess calendars don't lie. Usually. Over a decade of marriage and he can still make me laugh better than anyone else in the world; make me feel utterly safe and whole just by enfolding me in his arms. My heart still leaps up into my throat whenever I hear his voice. Now, 12 years and two amazing chiddlers later, we still enjoy each others' company and keep learning from each other every day. Yep. It's been a good dozen years. I'm just amazed that he has found a way to tolerate my particularly potent brand of crazy for all this time.

Now...I seem to have run out of stuff to ramble about, so I'll leave things here. Have a great weekend! :)