When I first walk on, I immediately notice the overweight bald Hispanic man dressed in distressed denim jeans and a dirty red plain button down shirt, snoozing away with his massive husky resting on him. A peculiar odor is radiating from him. Next to him is the girl with bright orange lipstick, dressed in hipster clothes with her oversized headphones. Her head bobbing left to right, swaying with the music. I proceed to l find a seat next to a young Caucasian boy who looks about thirteen years old. He is carrying an overstuffed Jansport backpack and has two large textbooks in his hand. Ah, high school. How glad I am to be out of it. Next, standing against the doors that specifically say “Do not lean on doors”, is a built, tall black man with his acid washed jeans sagging down to his knees. His rap music is audible from the other side of the cart. Next, my eyes drifted over to the confused looking Asian couple, speaking some sort of Chinese dialect and browsing over a map of the city. Then of course, like clockwork, comes in a clan of a few Mexican men holding unidentifiable instruments. One of them starts singing a song in Spanish, while his mate plays the instrument, and the other starts pacing back and forth, holding out a sombrero, asking the passengers for money. Some of the passengers politely look away, while others look obviously annoyed. Then, there were those few who spare some change for the Mexican men. “Next stop is Fifty-ninth Street, Lexington Avenue”, I hear on the loudspeaker. I slowly arise from my seat, and wait for the train doors to open. I look back on the crowded subway cart and think about how this is just a typical day in the life of riding the subway. I see the same types of people, doing the same types of things. Sometimes I wonder, what is going through their minds whilst riding the subway? Do they look at one individual at a time, and analyze them physically and wonder what is going on internally? Do they judge one another? Maybe I just think too much. Not sure. But with every subway ride I take, I always find myself thinking about each one of these riders, who they are and where they’re going.
Tina! I loved your monologue,because its so true. I loved the detail and the part specially about the Mexican men coming to sing. You captured the essence of a train ride in your monologue and I think that’s awesome!!! Rock on Tina! ^.^ <3 🙂