Crowded train, calm mind

While I’m a part-time yoga teacher I also hold down a full-time job, and I travel by train to and from my job every day. This has it’s ups and downs, but mostly it saves gas and wear and tear on my car. I like to read on the train and most times I can, but lately our beloved transit authority decided to “make things better” by eliminating an essential car from the train I usually take. Seats are now precious, and I have to hustle to get one, or ease my way in and find a reasonable spot where I can hold on for dear life without losing my footing.  Anyway . . . I’m not one to get really aggravated over things like that because the train ride is only about 15 minutes before I can exit and breathe again. . . .so I accept it for what it is.

I had a particularly awful ride on the train two days ago, but my ability to remain calm in times of stress saved me.  I was waiting for the train in the hot summer sun before my long Labor Day weekend when alas, the train arrived pretty much on time — but with only ONE car! How could this be during the busiest time of the day when people are leaving work! Because I didn’t want to wait yet another 15 minutes for the next one (which may or may not be any better), I wiggled my way on to the train that was already overcrowded and stuffed with hot, sweaty bodies eagerly awaiting their trip home. I was stuck pinned to the wall near the door. Thankfully, it would make for a somewhat easy exit. I held my thick library book in the crook of my arm and reached out and supported myself somewhat unsteadily on the door as the train sped south. Stop after stop didn’t deter even more people from getting on, even though there was no room to stand. Luckily as people got on, others got off, but the situation never really got any better. Bodies pressed against each other and young girls were talking on their cell phones, cursing the situation and suffering from claustrophobia. There was a mother and a young boy with a stroller, no less, standing right next to me, and the poor kid was simply lost and could easily get trampled on.

But I remained calm, and even joked with some people instead of getting ruffled and mad. It is what it is. Over 4,000 complaints were lodged with the transit authority since they started this madness a couple of weeks ago so I hope that it’ll go back to the way it was, when seats were available and I could read in relative comfort. In the meantime, I accept it, and I’m grateful for the transportation and for the fact that my job pays for my train pass. While my mind remained calm, I looked forward to the one-mile walk I’d have when I finally released myself from train bondage, and to my yoga room where I could finally breathe again.