What would others think

This morning, I was served by the lad who I've mentioned in two of my previous blogs. He just acts different than others and says things you wouldn't expect. Like today when I ordered my drink and the croissant he repeated the order and then said, "that's fine".. Lol.  I think he knows he's different and he doesn't care what others think . My train this morning is quieter than normal and it's nice to not have a fully packed carriage for a change. It just makes the journey a bit relaxed.

Tuesday evening's  train back to Birmingham, was packed. And they have been really busy recently. Opposite me there was a man with curly hair and glasses. As soon as the train set off he started eating a sandwich, then he had a packet of crisp, then a chocolate and then an apple. I thought he must've been hungry. After that he kept working on his laptop. A few minutes later he called the man sitting on my left by saying excuse me and then he asked where the toilet was. The man told him where it was, he went away and returned in seconds. I think he didn't like the look of the toilet as he had a look of disappointment on his face. Gradually that look changed into a look of desperation. He looked like he desperately needed to go  toilet but he didn't go. Every now and then when the urge became stronger he pulled a smile which looked like he was being forced to smile. Little did he know, what goes in must come out. He decided to not use the toilet and not to care about what others are going to think about his facial expressions.

In my train back to Birmingham yesterday, a lady came and sat next to me. She was on the phone when she came to sit down and it sounded like an intense conversation she was having with someone, almost like she was telling someone off. When she sat down right next to me I could hear a man's voice from the other end as it was a bit loud. The train was full and I thought she'd stop when she said, "I'm in the train now.." but she said, "it may cut off due to the signal being bad". But she continued giving that man an earful. She kept telling him that he needs to fix up and sort him self out, how he creates a drama every now and then and how the whole family is affected because of his actions. I first thought the man could be her husband but the way she was telling him off I then thought it could be her brother.

She continued talking to him for almost 50 minutes about how he should contribute towards the household income and that he should find a job. She told him he needs to stop drinking as much as he does and that's what has ruined him. It uncovered then that she was taking to her dad when she said, "you don't act like my dad... I shouldn't be acting as your psychologist, I'm your daughter". Then there was a discussion about his liver scans and him wanting to get a flat. A long debate about how he's had enough and wanting a divorce from her mother, what he is doing to drink less etc etc. But there was so much drama happening right next to me that I couldn't concentrate at anything else. She kept taking loud the whole carriage could hear her and I know she knew that because she said, "I'm on a train and I don't really want to be taking about this with people around". The people kept turning heads on the carriage but she wasn't even looking around. She was facing the window and continuing with the PEP talk. I think she must've had enough of all this and she didn't care where she was and who was listening around. Goes to show if someone wants to do something even that dramatic which contains all that information about their life, family and relationships they can as long as they don't mind or care about what are others going to think.

We sometimes make our choices on the basis of what others are going to think even if that means we don't even like the things we do. Yesterday afternoon I took a small journey to canary wharf on the DLR with some friends.The journey was short but a memorable one as it was with the friends. This was to go to a meal in honor of one of a friends leaving. I know this was a big decision for her and I admire it because she made this choice for herself. She looked happy and said she doesn't care what others will think of it. She wants to live her life in her own terms and pursue what she will enjoy. I know this blog is about the train journeys but I would say it was quite a journey working with you, sharing the jokes and fun times we had. I wish you a very pleasant journey ahead in your life..

The quote for today.. "You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing." - Richard P. Feyman (An American theoretical physicist)

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend

Adeel