I met a man on the train today (maybe met is the incorrect word to use, came across is more like it). I’ll call him Willem.
He had hazy green eyes, was around his early to late 40’s and looked like he was really one of those charming handsome men in his time.
I almost sat next to him, but the sun was on that side of the train and I had been walking so I didn’t feel like roasting further and feeling even stickier when I got to work. So I sat opposite him. As we waited for the train to pull off, he began mumbling. At first I couldn’t quite catch what he was saying. Then I caught “Ek verander waneer die wereld verander” that (according to my slighted inner Afrikaans-speaking voice) means “I change when the world changes” or “I change along with the world”.
He went on to mumble some other inaudible and (I think its safe to say) nonsensically charged waffle.
He planted a thought in my mind. Life can slip through our fingers slowly.
Not necessarily quickly.
Willem probably made a few wrong turns, a couple of wrong decisions. Maybe he decided to experiment with drugs, or maybe when he was younger he saw them as “recreational” (they sure as hell are – they recreate your mind, personality, reasoning ability, brain function & entire life there after), maybe he fought with someone at home and never came back, he could have swallowed his pride & returned to make amends. Who knows what went wrong?
Willem did not smell like alcohol at all. He wasn’t drunk nor tipsy. We made eye contact several times and when he saw me kind of paying attention to his ramblings. He stared right back & directed his words to me.
A part of me wishes I could tap into what he was saying. The part I caught earlier seemed rather profound given his state.
He got up and disembarked at the same station as me. He had a small bottle of water to hydrate him in this heat I guess. Quite sensible.
There are choices each day, opportunities each day, crystal clear good & even more shiny clear bad decisions, good people we take for granted, horrible energy suckers we latch onto for Lord knows what.
We have (hopefully) a fairly long life to lead. Take care of your soul & nourish it the way you know is best for you.
Don’t be that man on the train - Aging, alone & seemingly senile.
No comments:
Post a Comment