On the bus
I was on the bus last night, one of the 70’s going towards downtown, when the woman sitting across from me started discussing her book with a man across the aisle. It was about giants, her book, and about how growing giant produce is possible when the moon is farther away from the earth because there’s less gravity to keep it small. She was excited, gesturing broadly, and a man from a few rows back bounced down the aisle and slid into a seat behind her. “Do you want to know what I’m reading?” he asked.
She admitted that she did want to know, and he started talking about his book, something about a small child who saves the neighborhood children from the monsters under the bed. The bus passengers in the immediate vicinity were all getting pretty excited, starting to clamor about what they were reading as well.
Sadly, before they could whip themselves into a literate frenzy on a Friday night bus, my stop came and I had to exit.
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Last Friday I dragged a friend to the Seven Gables theatre to see the 2 p.m. matinee of “Water”, the latest Deepa Mehta film. There were only about 20 people in the audience. Before the film started, my friend and I were talking about a book he was reading that I’d suggested to him (”Death of Vishnu”). After about five minutes of discussing the book, the woman if front of us turned around, admitted that she’d been eaves dropping and requested the book title. We all chatted until the movie started.
Just when I think I may be losing interest in living in Seattle, something small like that happens and it gives me renewed enthusiasm. It’s so easy to feel isolated in this town. Yes, we all can feel temporarily united when something like a snow storm or earth quake happens, but it was divine that a simple book discussion brought me into contact with a complete stranger for a brief moment. I completely understand your reason for writing about your bus experience. It’s renewing.
And by the way: “Water” is a beautiful and very powerful film that I highly suggest.
Drury
I love all of my peculiar encounters with strangers in this town–I’m a friendly girl, but I’ve never been anywhere else where everyone else is just as friendly, and it feels like almost every time I leave my house I meet someone new and interesting.