Train Tales...

I took a train into the city on Friday... had a really tiring week where I was forcing myself out of bed, and then forcing myself to get through each work shift... and my body clock was CONFUSED by all the crazy shifts I was doing...so I took Friday off and slept til about 7am, read in bed til 8.15 (then felt yuck for staying in bed!) and just cruised through the morning... making myself take the day slow, even though normally I would be frustrated by getting to the the city so late... (I did go out earlier and run some errands beforehand)

I left around 1pm to catch the bus to the train station. Normally 10am would be the LATEST I would leave without feeling like I'd wasted the day...but it was a deliberate slow day! :)

I hated the train ride...the people in the carriage... apart from chewing gum being on all the seats (not used to that!) and the 'vibes' from the other passengers didn't make me feel safe...

A little girl was on the train... I didn't look at her because her mum was horrid...obviously a lady with a sad history and no real hope in life... she was rude to other passengers...abused one quietly spoken man... I saw he was black, like a tall African man. I didn't look because it all happened behind me... but I heard her say, rudely, "If you say 'EXCUSE ME' I'll move them for you!" - it seemed she had blocked the walkway with her bags, and was abusing the man for carrying out his RIGHT to walk... He said quietly and shyly, "Excuse me" and she let him through. She was a sad lady...she spoke loudly so everybody could hear...attention seeking and so RUDE! At one point she yelled something like, "If one more person gives me a dirty look...." forget the rest! I think everybody wanted to thump her, and when they alighted, we all relaxed... poor girl who has no idea her childhood could be so much happier... she was pretty well behaved though :)

Sad... I stopped reading my book, stared out the window and prayed...

On the way home, I wanted to read my book, but I kept feeling a strong "NO", so I didn't. I could only look outside the window because I felt God didn't want me reading this book in the presence of the lady sitting across from me... it was a book called, "Religion is for fools" - and I just felt a strong conviction not to get it out of my bag because this lady would take it badly... I don't know why, I just know I wasn't allowed to read in front of her... Normally I wouldn't care, but with a title like that, maybe she wouldn't have understood... I may never know why I wasn't allowed to read, but I have no regrets for following my convictions...