city living: chapter 32
There was a time during and right after college where I couldn't go anywhere in the city without bumping into someone from U of I. It's just a fact that a lot of people go to U of I and those people end up living and working in Chicago after graduation. That's died down over the years as people have moved on.
One thing that happens every once in a while, though, is when you see someone you know from high school or college on the bus or train or walking toward you on the street somewhere and one or all of the following go through your head:
- Where do I know this person from? High school or college?
- Do I want to stop and say hello and have a little How ya doin? session?
- Would this person even remember who I am? They didn't know who I was in high school, why should I expect them to remember me now?
- I don't feel like talking to them today.
I saw someone from high school on the train this morning. I don't remember her name and I doubt she'd remember me at all. But I always wonder as I encounter these people from the past if they see me and are thinking the same thing as we pass each other on the street.
Then there's the other end of the spectrum. (Does this qualify as a spectrum?) Anyway, there are the other times when I see people I know that I actually would like to talk to and they don't even notice me, but I don't feel like going out of my way to say hello. Just last week I saw three people I knew that I would have gladly talked to for a minute but they didn't notice my little half-hearted wave. Oh well, maybe I need to start wearing orange more often.
Every once in a while, you encounter someone on the train acting like an animal. What I mean by that is they seem to be making lots of noise just to bring attention to themselves and/or establishing dominance of their space. It's like they're trying to emphasize that they don't care what you think about them. If they do intimidate you, they are proud of that fact. Out of all the things that can be annoying about traveling on the CTA, this bothers me the most because it's usually a young black male that acts this way.
Lately it seems there have been more people getting all up in my space on the train. I know what you're thinking, "It's not your space. You're on public transportation. It gets crowded." Yes, that is true, but that doesn't mean you have to sit next to me when there are 18 empty seats over there.