strangers on a . . .

. . . train

at around 23.30 this evening, when i was about to get on a piccadilly line train - having taken the circle line from baker street to kings cross - a girl got off the piccadilly train who i had seen about 11hrs earlier on the westbound circle/hammersmith/metropolitan platform. how kooky is that? in a city of millions. this kind of thing happens to me at least a couple of times a year

i recognised the girl in question because she was wearing a super fab little green skirt with little white dots on it; i'd been tempted this morning to ask her where she'd got it. wonder if she recognised me as well - i felt like she looked at me for an extra second when she passed, but that doesn't mean it actually happened. how many people notice other people in their usual commute?

i remember when the bombings happened, and reading various accounts of train passengers after the fact. i recall one of them saying something like 'after the bomb went off, sat opposite me in the carriage was the girl who i'd seen nearly every day for the past several months - i'd always wondered about her' (she ended up either dead/passed out/lost limb/similar - i can't remember)

but of course people do notice, even though most would prefer to pretend they don't. funny thing - one has no idea if the person they've seen every day for 3 years - yet to whom they offer no recognition - could well be their next best mate or partner. interesting thought...

which reminds me of when i first started my blog, and the friends i met on the old thameslink commute that i used to take each day . . . so just a little side note, for those keeping score - the lady whom i called june back in 2004 ended up meeting a guy when she and i were commuting friends - they both work for a rail company and would bump into each other at monthly meetings - he seemed to fancy her (he brought her biccies to one meeting!) but she was: 1) blind to it 2) in denial

see, he was white and she was black and it had never occurred to her that this was something that could happen. she was also in her late 30s with two kids and a truly rotten ex-partner, and/so she felt she was finished with all that love stuff, and couldn't possibly ever meet anyone, bless her. he also had a long-term partner with whom he was in the middle of splitting - so dear june was adamant and cautious about keeping her distance

however, through various trials and tribulations, they eventually: started dating, meeting each others' kids and parents, going on holiday, moving in together, getting engaged, planning a wedding for august 2006 (which is hopefully still happening, since i've not been in touch with her since before christmas!)

all together now for the big sigh - ahhhh


Currently reading: All Men Have Secrets, edited by Tom Gallagher