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The Art of Seeing

Finding some love on the uptown 6 train

Nadine Bjursten
The Shortform

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Photo by Eddi Aguirre on Unsplash

I couldn’t count the times I took the 6 train at Bleeker St. during rush hour to my apartment on 85th St., but this time the smell of urine, the grime, the pressing myself into a car that was already too full made me hate my life, mostly, all those other bodies.

Not wanting to be a hater, I started seeing people around me. I silently wished each person a good life and continued like that, not being creepy about it, but just sending love.

I was so lost in the exercise that I jumped — sure I missed my stop.

For the first time in the New York subway, I was called both honey and dear. Several offered that we were approaching 77th. We laughed at the long day. We acknowledged our shared experience, and I learned we do have a say in the character of the world around us.

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