I remember the days when I used to commute. Well I say commute I used to volunteer in a charity shop so my commute wasn’t exactly early morning (more noonish) but the train home was in rush hour. These days I use the choo choo’s a fair bit but rarely on long journeys. Well three weeks ago I was down in South London having luncheon with a friend and then she decided to try and kill me by making me walk up hills but I don’t hold grudges (she tried to kill me she did) but still no grudges (kill me…).
Anyway I noticed that a few thoughts popped into my head on the journey so thought I’d blog about it but I kept doing other things. Well no more. I’m finally going to write the blog on the random train thoughts about the journey.
Firstly these days I have an iPod so I am usually lost in whatever is coming through those little wires connected to my ears. A song came on by John Callahan feat. Sarah Howells called ‘Find Yourself’ which made me spend the next ten minutes or so wistfully looking out of the window and pondering whether I needed to jack in my life and move to Tibet to find myself. I have struggled to find exactly who I am for a long time and every so often I do think about jacking everything in and walking away from my life to start something new. This always passes but the thoughts do linger longer the older that I get.
Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Next up I got annoyed coming into Barking as there was a house with Christmas lights and such decorations adorning it. This was three weeks ago so mid-late September. Christmas creeps forward and forward but who wants to see Christmas lights when it doesn’t get dark until half seven? Seriously Christmas doesn’t need to be seen nor heard from in September. It seriously doesn’t.
When I got on the tube at West Ham I sat down and the person I sat next to actually got up and moved to another seat in the carriage. I was like ‘for reals?’ Now a tube is not first class accommodation where in general you choose who to sit next to. People get on and just sit down in the first seat they see. The carriage was relatively packed so I didn’t just think ‘oh look there’s a nice lady who I want to sit next to’ it was more like ‘oh look there’s a seat, I’ll sit down’ but she huffed and went to another seat. I did the tube fail of making eye contact with another person and we just looked at each other and shook our heads. Weird.
Getting off the tube at London Bridge and on the escalator I glanced over and there was a 30-something couple making out – quite heavily and then he started nibbling her neck. I tutted but thinking back was I wrong to tut and shake my head? Public displays of affection should be fine. Why shouldn’t two people express their love for each other on an escalator? Just because some loser who still hasn’t had a date date in 2012 is watching should they care? No they shouldn’t. I always get annoyed when people say they hate Valentine’s Day when they are single but put everyone’s face in it when they aren’t. If people are in love then let them express it and if I see kissing and cuddling I should not tut. I should be happy that there are happy people in this world. Lord knows there are enough who aren’t so why shouldn’t those that are be happy enough to flaunt it?
The next train was relatively straight forward. I went and ate an excellent carvery and then got dragged up hills and saw Cows. Yes cows just wandering about eating grass. Not on a farm. I was stunned but apparently it is quite normal. For the record they were Sussex Cattle and looked like this…
Fairdean Downs Cows
On the way back the train went past Selhurst Park and lots of Cardiff City fans got on the train and just kept singing. There was this poor girl they kept singing at and she looked so nervous. As it is three weeks ago I can’t remember the song but it was a pop song and not a terrace chant.
Then at London Bridge I went to buy a drink at WH Smith and there were three people working there, two of them were behind the tills but they refused to serve me and told me I had to use the self service tills. I must say I thought they was a disgrace. I don’t like using self service tills at the best of times but when there are actually people behind the tills who were meant to be working but they couldn’t be bothered. Well I was not amused.
Lastly there was this girl at West Ham who I was trying to eye up but her dad seemed to have clocked me and decided that they should move down the platform from where they were standing to get further away from me. I mean how harsh is that? Obviously it was probably a prudent move on his part as I do look like a bum but still.
It is strange how two simple journeys can cause so many thoughts to flood through my mind.
