Train Stations & Why I Love Them

Last Sunday I took a full day trip to London. Woke up at 6am, walked for 45mins to the train station (buses don't run that early on Sunday in Leicester), got on the 7:45am train, arrived at St. Pancreas Station at 9:45am. Spent the whole day doing all the tourisy things. It was awesome. But nothing impressed me more than the train stations. I don't know why, but I'm so in love with them. I think it's the sense of grandiose, the super high dome like ceilings that reminds me of an armory. The hustle and bustle of people going important places. The punctuality of running on schedule, every time (I especially like this). The romance of a platform goodbye. The inevitability of the departed train. The full-throttle ahead. The safe screech of arrival. The passing landscape, here one moment, gone the next. My dad once said, don't forget to look at the scenery when you are driving by. But being in a train, you can look, but you can't stop. And the fragility and perhaps a little of the helplessness and lack of control over our surroundings has deep resonance with me as well. I know the sun shines beyond the rain, and you can't stay longer in a perfect moment than you can in a devastating one. The route is already set, and you know where you are headed. At least you think you do. But don't try to stay on too long, or the conductor just might fine you.

On the less emo side, here's something fun for you:
The trolley is actually half way through the pillar. Back to school!