Trains of Thought

14:57 Davis Amtrak Station
My train is late. I end up talking to this woman who missed her train to Oakland. She uses my phone to talk to call some family members to make sure someone can pick her up. Her brother has cancer. She is going to Fairfield to help him. She is retired, wants to volunteer with Meals on Wheels, and she is looking for a church. She talks about how she has wasted time in her bed or watching movies. I can sense that she feels lonely--no one to play tennis with, no one to bike with; she carries with her a sense of defeat--she tells me how she's gained weight, always puts off things for tomorrow. She seems sad but then laughs it off.
I hope she finds a church and good girlfriends to play tennis with and to bike with, to talk with and to take care of her. I hope she gets nights to dress up and go out and feel special. I hope she finds joy in God and hope in Christ!
Just before my train arrives, we exchange names; we've had a whole conversation without even knowing each other's names. I say goodbye as walk to the train.

On the train, I meet a kind elderly woman--cute and soft-spoken--who didn't mind me sitting next to her. She looks concerned that the train is running late. She tells me that she has to catch a bus in Sacramento. I tell her that I hope she catches her bus and we exchange smiles.

17:38 Sacramento Amtrak Station
I sit down to wait for my 4:55pm train to Fresno. I take off my shoes and sit cross-legged on the bench. I make some phone calls, hoping to caught someone who's free to talk and help me pass the time. As I leave a voicemail, an attendant comes by and says, "Your shoes must be on at all times!" Caught off guard, I was a little startled but simply nodded and put my feet back into my shoes.
At 4:30pm, I go outside to board the train. I sit at one of the sections that has a table and in my head I debate over which way the train is going and which seat I should choose so I'm facing the right direction. Finally, I just sit down. A man asks me if I know which direction the train will be going. We figure out that we need to sit on the left side.
A family of six comes into our car. I can read on every one's face that we're all thinking to ourselves, "Don't sit near me. Don't sit near me." Haha, the kids are cute, running around and being silly. One passenger moves some seats forward and says into his cell phone, "Yeah, sorry, I was just moving. There is a family that was sitting next to me."
The rest of the train ride consisted of staring out the window in deep contemplation. Haha, sounds like sarcasm, but it is true. I stared out the window and the images I saw--shantytowns, junkyards, factories, a father practicing how to pitch with his son, cemeteries--sent me into thinking about God, disparities here on earth, life, purpose. It was all very interesting. Then I fell asleep.