singley.org > blog archives > The Chicago Commute Cast of Characters 06.21.2004

There's a whole Cast of Characters who participate in the typically mundane event entitled, "My Morning Commute." There's Sunburned Tribune Vendor, Surly Bus Driver Guy #1, Surly Bus Driver Guy #2, Railroad-overall-wearing CTA Conductor, Pigeons #1-47, Happy Security Guard Steve and the few dozen sleepy urban professionals I sit next to on bus and train. Most of the latter group blends together into a Da Vinci Code reading, well-groomed mass, but there are a few who stand out. I've noticed one woman in particular because 1. she looks stunningly like someone I grew up with in Minnesota, 2. we seem to be running the exact some to and from work commute schedule and 3. she wears a ridiculously large engagement ring that she tends to flash around as she walks.

This morning as I walked towards my office building I caught her eye, and we exchanged a no-I-don't-know-you-but-I-see-you-all-the-time courtesy smile, and I noticed something different. I looked down at her left hand and saw that the diamond ring was gone. My first thought was to say something to her in case it fell off without her noticing, but realized that that would have been odd. Despite all innocence on my part, it would come across as creepily stalker-like. So, I just start thinking about explanations: maybe she sent it out to be cleaned, or resized. Perhaps she's playing sand volleyball after work, or taking a class in finger painting. Then I considered much more tragic possibilities: that the ring was lost, or that in the past two days, she'd called off a wedding and split up with her fiancee. She may be horribly upset right now, yet she was projecting the same face as everyone else in the crowd: tired, stoic. I took a moment to look around at these other commuters rushing across the street and thought about my little life dramas, and about how they surely have their own, some small, some traumatic. Mustached FedEx Man is getting a divorce, Banana Republic Guy #4 just got promoted, Mid-Level-Manager Woman bought a house, Power Suit Investment Banker just lost a family member. For a minute, I felt the weight of the Cast and it made me want to collectively ask them if they'd like to grab a donut or something, sit down, have a chat. Then I looked up and joined the rushing mass, walking into the building, past Happy Security Guard Steve and made it to the elevator at the same time as the now-ringless woman. I stepped aside, held the door for her and we road up to the 33rd floor in silence.

I forget to wear my ring from time to time. I even lost it once. That made my look panicky for a weekend. I think there may have been more of a cast of grief or relief if they'd broken it off.

I'm with you, Singley. I don't consider myself wholly egocentric, but my thoughts, dramas, plans so occupy me that it seems like they're a thick cloud that envelops me - a barrier between me and the world.
I like the busy-ness of cities, watching people, weaving in between them, passing and watching them pass. But when I think about each person I see as a real person, with their own dramas, feelings, moods...they each seem to grow in size and I expect their cloud-barriers to bounce off the person they just passed like a big game of bumper cars.
Amazing they all fit into one bus.

I think I've been in medical school for too long, because I ended up relating your entire entry back to medicine. First I was thinking your morning commute sounds like a scene out of Scrubs, and it reminded me of the characters in the hospital here who could totally be on that show. My favorite is fridge guy--his entire job is going around the hospital every day and checking to make sure each fridge is working properly. And he always is very chipper and purposeful--it is an important job, I guess.

Then I got cheesier as I read the rest because it reminded me of one of the coolest parts about medicine: you get to see these moments in people's lives that most people on the street are never privy to. There are the obvious ones, like a baby being born or a relative passing away, but then there's also the parents who have brought their kid into the ER after a suicide attempt, or the woman who found out her husband has been cheating on her so she wants to be tested for HIV. It's like a fascinating, never-ending reality TV show, but even better. It's amazing how much people are willing to tell a doctor they trust, and somewhat unnerving to be in the position of hearing such intensely personal things. I guess that's why TLC has so many variations on the "real life in the hospital" theme.

It's funny how we verbalize people we don't know, but often see. A few of my work favorites are: Cool Janitor #2, Guy with all those conservative bumperstickers, Guy that talks to himself, and Long-haired religious lady.

Oh, Singley! Not only do you move me to tears in bed, but now you are writing such poignant things on your website. I'm getting misty!

I often wonder about random people, too. Please let us know if your lady friend shows up this week with the ring back on her finger.