I would like to thank the people on the street who make my long commute a little lighter. I have no right to whine, but I know you can also see our mental condition as easily as we can see your material condition. But guess what? What you give me is worth a heck of a lot more than a dollar. In fact, it helps me whistle while I work for that dollar that I am sometimes able to share.
For years, I enjoyed Mister John’s kind blessing at Union Station Metro. I have not taken Metro in a while, but did you know that Mister John’s was the FIRST friendly voice I heard when I came to town almost ten years ago? I often look for Mister Blue Eyes, a quiet man who often sits at the Postal Museum and says, “Have a nice day” when I pass.
I actually miss the fellow with the bad knees who would greet every human being who passed; I can only hope he has gotten on well.
Now and then, there is a beautiful lady near Union Station who has a musical Caribbean lilt to her voice. Her strong, ladylike dignity reminds me so much of what we as women have lost because we didn’t recognize its value until it slipped from our grasp. I am too shy to ask this lady her name, but in my mind, I call her “Three Times a Lady.”
And if you can’t hear Mister Voice’s “good moooooorning” (on your trip through Union Station), you can surely hear him over the traffic at 15th and K.
So…your good vibe, when you are able to give it, is not for nothing. Thank you.
—a commuter