Observations From A Train Window

There are times when I feel like I am growing old on the train back and forth to the City. Yet every time the train passes heavy--or stopped--traffic on I-95, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to commute to the City by train. Sometimes the cost of a monthly ticket seems steep. Until I calculate the cost of gas, the cost of parking in Midtown, and wear and tear on my car. Riding the train also provides me with 10 hours of potential reading time every week.

Travelling by train offers the opportunity to observe the scenery; something you can't really do while driving a car. Of course, riding a commuter train is very different from riding cross country, because their very purpose takes them primarily through urban areas. You still see quite a variety of landscapes: residential neighborhoods, parks, golf courses, cemeteries, commercial districts (especially around the stations), industrial areas, back yards, parking lots, alleyways, storage areas, and dumping grounds. For the most part you see the rear sides of buildings and their backyard areas.

Back yards are fascinating. There you see the things that people don't want the rest of the world to see: storage sheds, garages, swimming pools, play areas, parking areas, dumpsters. It is similar to looking at the work areas of many of my colleagues. The desks are neat and orderly. Just don't look in the desk drawers or under the work table! Like those work drawers and under table areas, back yards run the gamut from neat and orderly to complete chaos. The industrial areas intrigue me, too. As with back yards, they run from neat, orderly, and efficient to total disaster areas.

For over six years I have ridden this same stretch of the Metro North New Haven Line. I watch the seasons change. I watch the landscape change. On the Glenbrook site of the engineering company where my grandfather worked now stand condominiums. A commercial area in Stamford is becoming more and more residential as stores are replaced by high-end rental buildings. Parts of Harlem along the rail corridor are becoming gentrified. Grand Central Terminal evolves almost weekly.

I know that I probably will not be making this commute for much longer. My journey will most likely take me away from this part of the country where I have spent most of my life. When I return, whether for a visit or for a new job, it will have changed. The view from the train window will be familiar, but not quite...

Peace,
Jeff