I have figured out that I spend anywhere from 2-4 hours a day on average riding the NYC subway. Sad, but true. I’ve been doing this for nearly 5 years, now, and have developed some solid coping skills.
One thing that’s hard when you depend so heavily on something that you have absolutely no control over is the unknown: When will the train come? How crowded will it be? Can I get a seat? Why is the F train running on the A train again? Will I make the transfer?
You get the picture.
I get stuck worrying about the wait instead of enjoying the ride. And that makes me a miserable person. I can literally feel the weight of each wasted second adding to the scale of my impatience.
However, when I set aside my worry and try to accomplish something during my ride, it goes much smoother. When I read, write, listen to music, or even enjoy the garden of people around me, the time flies by.
I learn things from kids, “look Mommy, the pterodactyl and Pink Panther can be friends!” I take in the beautiful Manhattan skyline from the bridge. I enjoy mariachi music. I get a chuckle out of teenage angst, “did you hear that Tom told Claire that I said Linda likes Marc?” There’s a lot to take in on a New York City subway.
I got to thinking that life’s a lot like this. There can be a lot of worry in the waiting and it makes time pass slowly and painfully while we wonder when x, y, or z will come to pass.
And then there’s enjoying the ride. When life gets lived with confidence that the next thing will happen. It’s not ignoring that the work needs to get done, but just living with the knowledge that we’re not the ones driving this train.
Here’s to no more worrying about the wait and enjoying this ride we’re all on.
