LEAVING NYC

January 15th

 Through the train window

4PM

7PM

 The first leg of this long journey

 Crossing many waters

I had a surprisingly roomy coach seat alone until Washington, and helpful others like Elliot from Queens, on his way to a yearly visit with elderly parents volunteered assistance with my bags.  He was perusing seed catalogs for Spring planting in his and his daughters gardens.  We talked of plants and family love.  Another instant friend, a housewife traveling back to Florida to be with her husband, who wants to live there forever with his golf friends. but she has no community in Florida, misses her grand kids on Long Island where they all live within blocks of her home, and longs to be back with them.

A cheery presence with a great sense of humor.  By 10 PM I was out of energy, and since, a young woman had boarded and occupied the seat next to me, I was no longer able to stretch out.  I couldn't sleep.  It was torture half the night till I finally dropped off near dawn on the 16th.  The train was an hour late, and by the time my dear, dear generous friend, she who had sent the round trip ticket as a Birthday gift, picked me up at Orlando in the afternoon, I had become the ghost of Christmas past, as you can see.

More Next Post,  It gets better.