Paired strangers can turn a journey into an interesting seatmate story. Do you have one to tell? If yes, was it funny, sad, poignant, uplifting or annoying? Did you make a friend? Tell your story here.


Two women on a NYC bus

I was on an 8th Avenue bus in NYC when the woman beside me tapped my arm. "If you were me," she said, obviously perplexed and needing an instant opinion, "would you leave New York and live in Anguilla with a man you haven't seen in 30 years?" Her question sparked a lively conversation since she was a lifelong New Yorker. We were middle-aged women, divorced, anxious for an exciting lifestyle change and strangers. We decided she should try him out for a few weeks and experience island life. I gave her my card and asked for updates. Several months later, she called. "Strange how I didn't notice his slight hump and that he used a cane," she said when detailing their erotic Caribbean love affair. She'd call again if she decides to leave New York. We'll probably never meet again. But I was glad to be the good listener she needed during her contemplative bus ride.
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2 comments:

  1. Momo FaliOctober 27, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    Isn't it amazing how we can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger when we are sharing a journey together? On the way home from New York last weekend, the man next to me wasn't feeling very well, so I started talking to him (the way I do with my kids when they don't feel good...to distract them from whatever is making them unwell). We talked for two hours and when we landed, he introduced me to his friend and said it was one of the best conversations he had ever had and that I completely took his mind off of feeling sick.

    Little does he know, that I just didn't want to be thrown up upon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JudithGNovember 16, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    Thanks Momo for the fun post. Seatmates come in many guises. Looks like you were Nurse Nightingale that day.

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