My daily subway rides have been occuring for not quite a month yet. Those first couple days, I felt a little timid, paying attention to everything around me. The people, the signs, the stops. I soaked in public transit, and thought to myself, hey...this ain't so bad. I love to people-watch, and now I get to do it everyday.
During that past week, however, my opinion seems to be changing. Perhaps now that I am more relaxed with my commute, my senses have levelled out; it's not just my eyes that are alert. No....my sniffer seems to be set on high lately. Smells and odours of my travelling counterparts waft to my nose. Poor hygiene, stale cigarettes, greasy morning breakfast, stinky feet. Those scents that cling incessantly to the inside of my nose, that last long after we have parted ways I am sitting at my desk at work. Makes me wonder if it's me that smells....
(Picture it....Sitting alone at my desk, taking a quick look around to make sure no is coming, and do the sniff test. Hair--nope, smells like the lavendar shampoo, arms--nope, smells like fading soap, underarms--not today, remembered deodorant, and finally shirt--again nope, smells like a regular silk shirt [woot! who knew this shirt was silk? I thought it was polyester!])
Perhaps what I need to do here is to be alert once again. Not to focus on the smells, but on everything. Let the waft waft right by me. Stop being another faceless entity on the subway, avoid eyecontact and staring only in space, with an expressionless look. Just sit up and enjoy the ride.
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