Let's talk

For a while on Thursday I was thinking I really did like my job. Then I remembered all the things I was avoiding and I wondered if I was fooling myself. I was in a total rush, getting out a mailing and leaving early to catch the train and I always feel better when I'm busy like that. Upshot: not much change on the job front, but things are not getting worse.

Train ride: thought I would have time to write, instead I did work-work and then ended up in a long conversation with my seatmate about my family. When I mentioned that I was about to spend the week with fourteen members of my family he said: that will be fun. I haven't really thought about it like that. He was sincere. Even after I'd explained the whole set-up and all the craziness, and he granted some of the problems and obstacles to having a good time, he still took a positive view. I said, "I'm going to try and adopt your attitude."

He told me he taught at Columbia and I thought he meant at Columbia Union College in Maryland. Where is my head?

He was super cute: dark, short hair with grey specks, round intellectual glasses, slim build, cleanly dressed in jeans and a black long sleeve t-shirt, age appropriate. He had a mysterious accent that turned out to be Greek. He was also married. I saw his ring before he even sat down so I wasn't blindsided. He mentioned his wife, in passing, near the end of our perfectly nice conversation. I talked a lot. Why? He kept asking question, which I can never resist. I have been accused of having "male answer syndrome." But, I was really on, flashing my smile, very animated, eyes sparkling, wit sharpened, etc. Too bad he wasn't single, I would have made quite an impression! (Did I still make an impression?) I get a certain amount of joy from this kind of performance and he was a good audience. Engaged, showed interest, kept asking follow-up questions. And you know, I will never see him again, so who cares if he was bored? He should have stopped asking questions. Maybe he enjoyed talking and listening to me. It has happened.

Stay tuned for tales of the family absurd. You may not get as many details as Greek-train-guy, but you didn't ask, did you?

Grateful for: enjoying conversations on the train.