Cooperation
Which Sesame Street character was the one who always sang about cooperation? Was it Bert? I am picturing Bert for some reason. Also, may I say I think cooperation was the longest word I knew as a kindergartener coming in, just from Sesame Street. I bet, in fact, that if you polled a bunch of American 5-year olds, that's about the longest word most of them know.
But anyways, I bring up cooperation as a little theme of today because I have a two-part story about it. A real-life example of peace and harmony, or a Goofus and Gallant strip for city living.
The other morning, on my morning commute, a very heavyset woman entered the bus. As she was opening her purse to pay the fare, I noticed she looked like she was in pain and needed to sit down, but also that, because of her size, she was probably going to need two seats.
I'm sitting up front, near where she came in, people on either side of me, and suddenly I'm uncertain. What do I do? Should I anticipate she'll need two seats, and so if the guy next to me gets up, I get up too, thus leaving her the two seats she needs? Would she take offense to that? Would that be the same thing as just announcing to everyone, "Whoa, I can tell you're going to need two seats," and causing her unneeded embarrassment? But then again, if no one moved, she could not realistically fit in a one-seat place, nor would she want to, and so then she wouldn't get to sit down at all.
As it turned out, I didn't have to make a decision, because she found two empty seats next to each other a little farther back and sat there. But what if she hadn't? What if the bus had been more than half full? I suddenly realized this woman probably deliberately passes up half the buses that go by because she knows she'd have nowhere to sit. That sucks.
Then that afternoon the same situation happened, and I sort of saw the solution. This time it was a heavyset guy who got on. Right away, a kid (I say kid to differentiate him from the guy) sitting up front who had an empty seat next to him, he got up real quick-like and went to stand in the back so the heavy guy could sit down--the guy never saw him, I don't think. He came in, looked around for a place to sit, and gratefully sat down in the roomy space so conveniently located near the front. It was impressive. Happiness for everyone involved. So now I know there is a way... you just have to be observant. Which, as we know people on buses are not so good at, trying as they do to avoid eye contact with everyone and draw their personal bubbles around themselves by way of iPods. Props to that kid. He knows what's up.
In other news, I was walking home on Friday and passed a patch of grass (grass! In the city! It is precious) under a window with an air conditioner in it. The grass was newly watered, looked green and fresh, and everything was still except for the hum of the air conditioner, which I imagined was creating a calm and comfortable inside home for whoever lived behind it. And I decided I like the sound of air conditioners in the summer when they're out behind a house, plugging away while the summer hours drift by.... there's something ...sleepy about it.
So here is your question: Do you have a favorite sound? Besides this one, I have a few: Nails being hammered into fresh wood, kids laughing (in the silly fun way, not the way the bullies do when they're being mean), and for a while after we got the game Taboo, I was addicted to pushing the teal-and-hot-pink "beeeeh" button.
Also, a random Sienfeld quote from an episode last week that I totally agree with.
GEORGE [circling the city blocks looking for a parking space, refusing to give in and pay for garage parking]:
Garages are like prostitutes. Why should I pay for it, when if I apply myself, maybe I can get it for free?
Big Event of the Day: Either the Latin American grocery (far away, and also I forgot my shopping list) for cotija cheese and other groceries, or the Quik-E-Mart (on the way home... put off the real shopping trip 'til later) and a nap. Sweet sweet nap.
Percent Chance: Latin American grocery, 38%. Quik-E-Mart and nap, 62%.
But anyways, I bring up cooperation as a little theme of today because I have a two-part story about it. A real-life example of peace and harmony, or a Goofus and Gallant strip for city living.
The other morning, on my morning commute, a very heavyset woman entered the bus. As she was opening her purse to pay the fare, I noticed she looked like she was in pain and needed to sit down, but also that, because of her size, she was probably going to need two seats.
I'm sitting up front, near where she came in, people on either side of me, and suddenly I'm uncertain. What do I do? Should I anticipate she'll need two seats, and so if the guy next to me gets up, I get up too, thus leaving her the two seats she needs? Would she take offense to that? Would that be the same thing as just announcing to everyone, "Whoa, I can tell you're going to need two seats," and causing her unneeded embarrassment? But then again, if no one moved, she could not realistically fit in a one-seat place, nor would she want to, and so then she wouldn't get to sit down at all.
As it turned out, I didn't have to make a decision, because she found two empty seats next to each other a little farther back and sat there. But what if she hadn't? What if the bus had been more than half full? I suddenly realized this woman probably deliberately passes up half the buses that go by because she knows she'd have nowhere to sit. That sucks.
Then that afternoon the same situation happened, and I sort of saw the solution. This time it was a heavyset guy who got on. Right away, a kid (I say kid to differentiate him from the guy) sitting up front who had an empty seat next to him, he got up real quick-like and went to stand in the back so the heavy guy could sit down--the guy never saw him, I don't think. He came in, looked around for a place to sit, and gratefully sat down in the roomy space so conveniently located near the front. It was impressive. Happiness for everyone involved. So now I know there is a way... you just have to be observant. Which, as we know people on buses are not so good at, trying as they do to avoid eye contact with everyone and draw their personal bubbles around themselves by way of iPods. Props to that kid. He knows what's up.
In other news, I was walking home on Friday and passed a patch of grass (grass! In the city! It is precious) under a window with an air conditioner in it. The grass was newly watered, looked green and fresh, and everything was still except for the hum of the air conditioner, which I imagined was creating a calm and comfortable inside home for whoever lived behind it. And I decided I like the sound of air conditioners in the summer when they're out behind a house, plugging away while the summer hours drift by.... there's something ...sleepy about it.
So here is your question: Do you have a favorite sound? Besides this one, I have a few: Nails being hammered into fresh wood, kids laughing (in the silly fun way, not the way the bullies do when they're being mean), and for a while after we got the game Taboo, I was addicted to pushing the teal-and-hot-pink "beeeeh" button.
Also, a random Sienfeld quote from an episode last week that I totally agree with.
GEORGE [circling the city blocks looking for a parking space, refusing to give in and pay for garage parking]:
Garages are like prostitutes. Why should I pay for it, when if I apply myself, maybe I can get it for free?
Big Event of the Day: Either the Latin American grocery (far away, and also I forgot my shopping list) for cotija cheese and other groceries, or the Quik-E-Mart (on the way home... put off the real shopping trip 'til later) and a nap. Sweet sweet nap.
Percent Chance: Latin American grocery, 38%. Quik-E-Mart and nap, 62%.
posted by Becky at
5:57 PM
2 Comments:
I like your observations. I think we think alike. I had a situation on the train the other day where a rather large woman sat down next to me. It was rather awkward since she was clearly taking up much of my personal space. Normally, I would just let it be, but unfortunately, she also smelled incredibly foul and she was grunting a lot. Seriously. Considering that I had several more stops to go, I got up and went to the other end of the car. I don't think she realized that I was still on the car since I made it seem like I was getting up to leave. I certainly felt a bit guilty, but she really, really smelled foul, and I was sitting right next to her.
Answer: Heavy rain, preferably in the midst of a thunderstorm.
By
gophilipgo, at 6/27/2006 12:00:00 PM
Bacon frying in the morning. (again with the bacon)
Also windchimes on some far-off back porch. And the ice cream truck.
By
Anonymous, at 7/05/2006 07:59:00 PM
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