Have you ever sat on the subway and looked, I mean really looked, at your fellow travellers? I have discovered it to be a new favourite hobby of mine. Not in a weird, creepy stalker kind of way mind you. Just in an interested, intrigued , co-inhabitant of the same space kind of way.
On an average day, stepping on to Toronto’s underground network, you really get to experience the core of what this city it about. Diversity. Since the British colonised the ‘Town of York’ in 1793, it has taken little over 200 years to become one of the most diverse cities on this little planet. Looking around at my fellow passengers this morning, I was able to bear witness to people of all ethnic origins - not just black and white, but of every shade in our human spectrum. But look closer - look at facial dynamics: Beard vs no beard, heavy makeup vs no make up, wet hair vs no hair. You only have to look at the choice of bags on offer to see the different purposes we each have in store for the day - the briefcase on its way to make the defining pitch of its life, the satchel on its way to a math quiz, the gym bag on its way home from an hour of torture and adrenalin production, the clutch bag on its way to a date. Take a moment to discover the relationships on board: the teenager furiously shuffling through their MP3 player, the lady purposely taking up two seats so that no one sits next to her, the man and his newspaper, the gossipping friends, and the confused little child grasping as tightly as possible on to her mothers hand. Unfortunately you are also able to utilise your other senses in this game of discovery - your nasal passages alone will help you sniff out the student who forgot to shower after a heavy night experiencing both the positives and negatives of beer and tequila. Use your ears and you can hear the gentle tapping of the highly polished fingernails belonging to the woman who is oh so very late! Although, I recommend you draw the line after those three - touch would probably not be well received by your companion travellers!
And so, dear friends, with this I am not suggesting you start some form of stalking alliance, but merely encouraging you to be visual, be awake, and be an active participant in every moment of your day. You will be surprised what you see. On your next morning commute, shopping excursion, trip across town, take a moment and just look at the diversity we are lucky to be part of in this city. And we are a part of it. Look closely and you will see that every person tells their own individual story like nothing any identity theft could pick up. This leads us to ask the question ‘What story am I telling?’. Consider this, if someone were to look at you on a subway - what would they see? Would they see someone with not near enough coffee in them yet? Would they see someone who hasn’t yet noticed the toothpaste down their top? Would they consider you rude? Or intelligent? Or creative? And, most importantly, is this the story you want them to see? If not, maybe this is your wake up call to do something about it - make that change.
We are lucky enough to be existing in one of the most diverse cities on this planet. Looking around on the subway, we are able to separate each and every person into their own specific category - how do you feel about the category you would be placed in?
Me?...I’m working on mine...
