This morning I take a later train in. I find a seat next to
an older gentleman with an e-reader. I sit down and he offers to put my bags up
top for me. I politely decline because I just don’t like being separated from
my Tumi bags! I whip out my phone and start responding to emails and texts.
The man stops reading and looks out the window once we get
to the marsh area. He turns to me and says “These are rare to see! You see
those birds?” I don’t have my glasses on so I take his word for it and nod
saying “What a treat to see them on our way in.”
He now thinks I am interested but really I was only being
polite. “Look, there is a heron! You see that?” I don’t see the heron. Again…
zero glasses and they tend to blend in with the mud anyways. I dodge and answer with “Oh, we have heron on the lake in NH.”
“Ahhh! You see the Egrets? Aren’t they just stunning?” I
look out the window. I actually see them because they are huge! “Yes! They are
beautiful.” I say.
“You know…why aren’t they flying south? Are they confused?
It’s getting cold!” he says.
Ensue full on conversation about bird watching. He was an
adorable little old man and he reminded me very much of my grandfather. It was
at that point, I threw my phone in my purse and gave him my full attention. I
may not have been 100% interested in birds but he made an effort to talk to me
in a nice way and that deserves my attention. Sometimes human interaction trumps technology!
