Filed under: Blogs
It’s 8:30 in the morning and I’ve managed to drag myself out into the sun for a run. The air is still chilly from the night but the sun exudes a gentle warmth. I make my way into Forest Park and take my usual route toward the History Museum. As I run along the pedestrian path, I watch people coming the other way on the bike path. It’s not too busy in the morning. I usually just see joggers or walkers pass me. As I start to slow down a bit to pace myself for the run back, I see an old black man walking my way on the bike path. He is wearing a dark blue shirt and black pants. He has a slight hunch and is walking extremely slowly, almost like he’s just shuffling along. A pair of sunglasses hides his eyes. I’m about to turn my gaze away when I hear him shouting something. Is he talking to himself? Maybe he’s crazy. But as I near him I hear him shout, “Come on! Hang in there! Hang in there! Look at you!”
He was looking at me behind those sunglasses. I smiled as I passed him. They say running is a painful individual sport but sometimes it’s so worth it.
—
The line in the bookstore is frighteningly long but I decide to join the chaos. I have lots of time to spare. I start to stare at people in the bookstore as the line slowly creeps along. I see students who are too lazy to search online for cheaper deals holding overpriced textbooks. I see parents picking out some Wash. U. paraphernalia. I see bookstore employees holding out baskets with free gum. Soon enough, the bookstore scene becomes boring and I stare off into space. About midway into the line, the caucasian guy in front of me turns around and just bluntly asks me, “What are you studying?” Snapping back into reality I hesitate a moment and reply, “Um..probably biochemistry.” I find out that he’s a grad student in East Asian Studies, and that he has studied Chinese for a few years.
He then asks me, “Where are you from?”
“Taiwan.”
“Which part?”
“Taipei.”
“Oh. Nice. I lived there for a couple of years.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yeah. I was teaching English there and I just came here a few weeks ago.”
Of all people, I just happened to be standing behind a guy who lived in Taiwan before and actually knew Taipei. It was the most unexpected conversation I ever had waiting in line.
