Musing in Manhattan

     A few posts ago I mentioned my crazy commute with a soaking wet woman who was constantly elbowing me, humming indian songs, talking my ear off (practically) and whom laid (spelled wrong?  I never know how to use that word properly) her soaking wet umbrella across my lap.  Well, wouldn’t you know it, today we met again!  I thought I would never see her again, yet here she was getting on the bus again today.  So funny.

     I missed my usual bus today, so I caught a later one.  I was sort of happy that I missed the usual bus because having made some acquaintances on that bus, I never feel like I can just plug in and tune out using my ipod or sit back and write (as was my original plan for commuting when I first started working in Manhattan).  I always feel like I need to be polite and talk with everyone.   Today, though, I settled into the second seat on the right and pulled out my ipod, and plugged in for a nice hour with U2 (U2 is all I have on my Ipod–which perhaps I will explain in another post).  About 4 stops into the run, Just as one of my all time favorite U2 songs “BAD” came on and was blasting in my ear, I spotted her at the upcoming bus-stop.  Oh no, I thought.  AHHHH what are the odds that she was going to sit next to me though–slim?  There are plenty of seats back there.  I had my lunch and my pocketbook resting on the seat beside me, most people keep walking for a seat of their own.  She came on, looked right at me, and said:  “Oh, we get to sit together again!”  HUH???  Who me?  gulp!  I politely gave her a smile and moved my things onto my lap. She sided up next to me.  “How are you Sweetheart?” she said.  AWE, how can I be mad at such a nice lady.   She really wasn’t that bad. Right?  So I said I was fine and that I was late.  She confided in me that she was too.  I continued to listen to my music and she pulled out her’s as well.  She actually asked if I wanted to trade and listen to “indian music”–I said:  “No thank you.”  Sorry–nice or not, I never put anyone else’s ear plugs in my ear.  Not to mention I don’t consider many bands a fair trade for U2.   =)    I hoped she wasn’t insulted, she didn’t seem to be.  She tried to talk to me again, I lowered the volume and answered her question, but I really didn’t want to chat the whole trip so I didn’t really elaborate in my answer.  Was that wrong?  I continued my journey with Bono, singing in my head so as not to disturb anyone else, when in my heart I wanted to belt out “With or Without You”.  Then I noticed something:  It was terrible, horrible, utterly frightening:   MY BATTERY WAS NEARLY OUT!  OH LORD!!!  Please just get me to the city God, Just let it last till I get into the city.  PLEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!   I kept listening as Bono sang to me–yes only to me.   “The Sweetest Thing” was next and then came “Angel of Harlem”…. sweet music to my ears, until the darn thing went dead.  UGH!!!!!  NOTHING! UTTER SILENCE!  Silence except for my neighbor humming her music again.   I sat there like a kid who had just learned that there was no Sant…  well, you know who I mean.  I was sad.  I kept the ear plugs in and pretended to still be listening until I reached my stop.  God Forgive me, I am not a mean person, I just want a little bit of quiet time with myself–is that too much to ask? Well, I had it for a little while today at least.  I hope the evening commute is better.  Although, I won’t have Bono to keep me company so I don’t know how it could be.  =(

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