slip-sliding away…..

Here’s another piece from the book that’s on the way.

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There’s something different
about taking the train.

Far from the privacy of travel by car,
yet in some ways,
a journey with more solitude;
allowing more personal time
to think, reflect, and observe.

No worries about traffic or obstacles on the road;
letting the conductor direct you
in this vast, metal carriage,
on a firm path that will not change.

Back and forth they go each day,
every 15 minutes,
like clockwork.

And on this journey,
the blend of humanity can be observed:
from the uptight businessman, with his suit and laptop;
to the casual worker, worried about getting to the shop on time.

Conversations often revolve around transport:
What time do you leave?
Where do you get off?
What time do you get to work?

Such are samples of the public discourses
on this course of continuous human movement.

Interesting, too,
is the opportunity to look into the eyes of others you may never otherwise see:
those tired of life;
the young and carefree;
the responsible ones who bear burdens
of a hundred things to worry about.

So varied are the hues of humanity,
not only in colour,
but in age, occupation, faith (or lack thereof), and demeanour.

Different, too, are the ways they find
to occupy their time on this journey:
some do nothing, sitting in quiet observation or reflection;
some stare out of the window – zoned out, listening to music;
others are lost in a novel;
a few spend these minutes reading newspapers or magazines;
while still others pass the time by talking to each other.

Some spend most of the journey asleep,
oblivious to the nearby activity,
waking up intermittently at stops or other random moments,
before dozing back into their heedless slumber.

Others – criminals – cunningly wait to catch someone off guard,
and pick their pocket;
petty theft for a meagre profit.

But despite all these differences,
for these few minutes,
on this shared journey to a common disembarkation point,
we all travel together –
regardless of our different destinations after the journey ends.

Is this not a microcosm of life’s journey?
All of us – no matter our differences,
our ways and character –
travelling together in a common existence,
for a short period of time,
to a shared point where we get off;
and thereafter,
each of us going to our own destination –
be it one of pain and suffering,
or one of eternal bliss.

But, unlike the train ride,
many of us don’t remember
that this life is just a short journey
which will inevitably come to an end.

And when our worldly journey eventually ends,
will we be satisfied with how we spent this time?

Or will we be regretful?
That we wasted it
on deceptions that mattered little –
yet seemed so important at the time…

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Date written:

January 2011

Background:

Over the years, I’ve taken various forms of private and public transport to work. This piece – which came after taking the train there for the first time – captures some of my feelings about the diversity we can experience via public transport. My greatest reflection on that ride was a reminder that, regardless of our diversity in mode of transport and how we use our time, the truth is that we humans are actually on a shared journey towards the Hereafter – so we should always bear that bigger picture in mind. When compared to the Eternity that awaits us in the next life, our time on Earth is merely a short sojourn – so we would do well to make the trip as productive and beneficial as possible, rather than waste it in excessive futile occupations.

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An updated version of this piece appears in my book – Let it Flow – available via Amazon Kindle, Google Play Books, Apple Books, Kobo, and more.