bauer, NJ
TransitThank you for bringing sunshine to my gray and gloomy days.
Patricia Hartbauer
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Shortly after I retired and moved here to Pennsylvania, I went back to New York City to do a play. Since I was commuting to the job it was a long trip everyday. There was a 20 minute walk to the local train station, a trip to Trenton where I boarded New Jersey Transit to New York, then a subway ride to the Upper West Side, then a cross town bus and a 4 block walk to the theatre. Truly a labor of love.
Even though we had opened, I still felt some confusion about the play. I was feeling very distressed and gloomy about it and needed to work on the script. The ride from Trenton to New York gave me ample time to do that.
As the New Jersey train approaches Penn Station in New York it enters a tunnel that takes it under the Hudson River. The Hudson is a big river so the tunnel is quite long. Sometimes the train will slow down or stop in the tunnel as the traffic controllers move other trains in and out of the depot.
On this particular day, just after I boarded the New Jersey train a woman got on with a little girl and sat across the aisle from me. At first I thought of moving my seat. I thought the yammering of the kid would be very annoying and I wouldn't be able to concentrate.
But the girl was very quiet. She spent the whole ride staring out the window and didn't say a word, until we got under the river. The train didn't stop but it slowed down . And after about 5 minutes the girl said "When are we gonna come outta this creepy tunnel?"
That made me grin, and I thought "Oh, how true, how true, little girl. Sometimes life is nothing but a creepy tunnel. And all you can do is have faith that you will eventually come out into the daylight again and things will start to make sense."
Thank you. Miss.
DB - The Vagabond
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Have a sweet day and may angels dip their fingers in your soup.
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WINTER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Given the resources and opportunity, what one thing do you want to do in 2010 that you've never done before.
You have all Winter to answer. Answers will be posted on the first day of Spring.
19 responses so far.
DB - The Vagabond
dbdacoba@aol.com
5 comments:
What a very long commute you had. I would call that devotion to one's job and truly a labour of love.
Sometimes we think the darkness in the creepy tunnel will never end and it is always a relief when the light at the end of the tunnel finally appears. Certainly an apt metaphor for life.
Very interesting post, DB. And in a strange way, even hopeful, as I am sure you understand. Often when I think things are the bleakest, I just sit there and think, "When will i get out of this dark tunnel?" And then quickly a thought comes to my mind -- "I KNOW I will get out of this dark tunnel, that there WILL be light at the end, and I WILL come out some day on the other side." I can think and know this with complete certainty no matter what circumstances I am going through. I guess it is something that has come with age and experience. It's bc I have ALWAYS come out of the dark tunnel, no matter WHAT the situation. Sometimes not the way I expected, but ALWAYS. So I can know with certainty it will happen again, even if it seems completely impossible... Also, when I'm going through such a "dark night" -- I know I'll come out on the other side of the dark tunnel (bad situation that seems hopeless, sometimes even impossible to get through or have a resolution to) bc I have my Catholic faith and most importantly my faith in the Lord. God says if we are His, He will never ever give us more than we can handle, and will always provide a way out for us. As I stated, it may not be what we expected, but always something for our good, that will eventually lead to our good, and make sense to us... And sometimes it will even be exactly what we originally actually expected and had hoped for... I do believe this, as I stated, bc I know it from experience. But sometimes we can't always have the blessing or way out the way we expect it. Sometimes we receieve it in Heaven. And what's wrong with that? Life on earth is just a vapor, Heaven is eternal life. So just hang on if you know Him... and meanwhile he will take you through a lot of these dark times even here on earth. He has for me, and that is my testimony. Thanks for letting me preach in your blog, DB, I hope you don't mind, my friend, LOL. Okay, I'm done now. Love,
krissy knox :)
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Life can indeed be a creepy tunnel and we can only hope when we come out of it that we can see sunshine. Hope you are doing well DB and will be spared the next blast of snow heading up your way. Take care.
DB, I often thought what the little girl did during the W years. That was a creepy tunnel. As always, great story DB.
The trick is to ensure you always have your own light source, that way, you can create your own light and not rely on the one at the other end.
Winter Challenge: If resources were not a challenge, I would train to become a Red Cross volunteer and travel the world helping others.
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