Chance encounters...

I am thinking about my trip to New York to meet Lisa at the Met and see Nozze di Figaro.  The Megabus was late, the young girl next to me had ear phones with rap blasting loud enough to make me cringe and squirm.  I was grading papers but could feel myself getting grumpy and unkind, so I stopped, closed my eyes and said my mantra as loud as I could in my head; I tried to meditate for 25 minutes or so.  When I opened my eyes again, the noise had not stopped, but the girl reached over and turned my light back on for me.  For a moment, we looked into each other's eyes, and we both smiled broadly as I said thank you.  She was just a kid, knew no better, and she had shown kindness to me.  And I was grateful.

When I took the Metro back into the city from Park Slope the next morning, I was a little unsure which side of the platform the train would show up, so I came up behind a woman who was standing near a bench.  I didn't realize until I came in front of her that she had JUST taken a big out of a raisin bagel or bun or some such thing that sticks to one's teeth in globs of soft dough.  She grinned apologetically, and I laughed and apologized profusely before she could speak; we both laughed, she answered my question, and as I looked back over my shoulder, I could see that she was still chuckling.  As was I.

When I got to the Megabus line, I noticed my friend Will about 8 people ahead of me.  He was taking the 9:15 and I was taking the 9:45 but decided I'd try to make the earlier bus.  I hung around while the bus became more and more jammed, but there were 3 extra spaces, and after some hesitation, looking around and checking, the woman finally took my $5 for changing my reservation, and I hopped onto the bus.  I skipped up the steps to the second floor and saw that Will in his eternal optimism had sad on an aisle seat with a free one next to him; he looked back and waved me in.  He chattered the whole time back to Philadelphia, and I gleaned more information about tugboats and the waters and hills around New York, so it was an adventure in data that I will probably never be able to call back to mind; however, he did tell me about his wife's dying mother who had become a dominatrix.  Now THAT was a tale about which I can retrieve every, single detail, but I shall have to keep them close to me because his wife is working on a book.

I was only able to have these encounter because dear, sweet Tracy kept Shadow for the night; we painted both Tuesday and Thursday, and she is working on some other little pieces to go with the grand whale.  It still thrills me to see her colors and her light.

Mine is clunky by comparison, but I do like the way the cloth leaves make their presence known even though I've painted over them with purple.  Nicky tells me that it's a tree with water and mud; right on, Nick!

Now we wait for the chance encounter that is Hurricane Sandy.  No public transportation, no school, no orchestra and a case of beer on hand; is this heaven or what?