Life is a train ride.
Everything is so exciting when you first get on. You don’t understand why so many people complain. You’re determined to enjoy this ride.
When you first start moving, there’s a sudden lurch, that’ll throw you forward. You’ll lose your balance. Probably fall. But the only thing you can do is to stand up, brush yourself off, and continue.
These bumps and lurches are an annoyance, but you soon learn that they are necessary in order for you to get to where you need to be. You start to expect them, and you find support, something to keep you stable during the lurches. They won’t get rid of the bump, but they’ll help you learn how to get through it.
The train will stop in places. You feel stable, and you can finally relax and enjoy where you’ve come to, but sooner or later, the train will start up again. There’s always a lurch. But you’ll be prepared this time.
People will come and go. Some may catch your eye, you might get to know some, but they all have to leave eventually.
You’ll find, however, that you will meet some people over and over again. They’re on the same path as you, and they change from strangers, into familiar faces, into friends.
As you get older, the train ride might not seem as thrilling. You may start to ignore the familiar faces. You may not feel the bumps as much anymore. And there will be new problems. There’s the baby crying in the corner. The woman who always seems to spill her coffee on you. The man who always takes your favourite seat.
You start to understand why so many dislike the commute. And you start to become just like them.
But today, please try to remember what it felt like when you first went on that train. Relive that excitement. Learn to love the train ride once more.