The Bag Man

October 22, 2016

My daughter, she is oblivious to it or simply too immersed in the novel she has brought along with her.    Just inside the doors as we enter the train, a gentleman sits on a stretch of seats, taking up all three.
The gentleman's necessities for the ride, bags of newspapers, an exacto knife and a magnifying glass.   Among everything he has made sure to have brought along, he has allowed himself the luxury of a coffee.   He is very organized, I think to myself.    He sips first from the plastic lid of his coffee, the wee bit that has apparently been trapped there-waste not, want not.

Such a busy man and so much detail attended to, so much care taken in his tasks.   He smiles all the while, even as both of his elbows escape the confines of his shirt via gaping, seemingly matched holes on both arms where the material has worn completely away.   He stretches, arms wide, looks up and out the window, then down to a shiny silver watch he wears. As he stretches, arms up and then out again, you can't help but note very darkly stained and thin fabric at his armpits and wonder how long 'til they wear to become gaping holes as well; creating additional exposure to the world?

We're on our way to another country and yet right here at home there is no lack of interesting to take in, wonder about and learn from.

Home, away or on the street, the airport, all around us there is much to learn from, reach out to and make us think.   People we don't know but should at least acquaint ourselves with, because they are often so much more than what we assume to see them as.   I really wanted to know more about this gentleman, what was his story, and learn from him as well.    It seemed to me, by the smile he wore after sipping his coffee, he leads a pretty simple life and makes the best of what he is afforded, content with all that is, as is.  

Isn't that what we all want, simple contentment.




Footnote:   On this day we are on our way to Iceland, but at that moment there was plenty of interesting right before us and my sense of wonder had already kicked in before even having boarded the plane.