Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A Small-Towner's Perspective on City Livin'

If life has been said to be one big journey, then I guess today I realized that detours make the trip so much more worthwhile. Oddly enough, this whole day actually started off with one. My bus decided to switch routes and left me with the better choice of walking to the train station for school. As I was walking across the apartment complex's parking lot, an eccentric, yet friendly middle aged woman in her PJs was standing outside of her wide open front door taking a drag and was talking to someone inside her apartment. She smiled at me and mouthed what must have been "Hi there" because I had my iPod in. I smiled back, said hi, and kept walking. I decided to yank my earbuds out and I guess whoever was in her apartment asked who she was speaking to and I heard her say "Oh this cute girl who was walking by..." I stopped in my tracks, smiled to myself, and yelled back laughing "thanks!" They got quiet and then started chuckling and said "no problem!". That really made my day. I think I smiled a good portion of the day due to that. After class I decided to take an adventure around SLC. There's something about walking downtown a busy city with a book bag flung over your shoulder. It makes you feel like a part of the whole thriving metropolis scene - the trains, skyscrapers, men with hard hats and jackhammers, endless coffee shops and people bustling about like little hurried ants - or so they seem with all the tall buildings. I guess its not such a bad thing to be small. I guess the lowly appearance of people in such a setting just magnifies the great things they all accomplish together to keep the city running. I took the train to some places I had never been before. I leaned my arms and head on the seat in front of me and stared at the blur of color and motion that passed by. Having my iPod in made me feel like I was in some urban themed music video.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You amaze me! I felt like I was watching a movie being narrated by the main character.

Adventures of Carissa said...

Annalise, i've told you this before and i'll tell you again. You have a talent for this! and i can see some future exchanges....maybe i'll buy groceries for the week if you write my papers? i'm sure we'll work something out. Love you! Keep writing!