Tuesday, August 3, 2010

♫ One shoe on and one shoe off...♫

Growing up we always had a song or more like a cheer that went, "One shoe on and one shoe off, that's how Estee went to bed..."
Today I would sing "One shoe on and one shoe off, that's how Estee boarded the train..."
I kid you not. Here I am gunning for the 4:52 train (yes, I left 10 min early) and the train is announced on track 11. The furthest track of course. I get down with time to spare but the train is only 1/4 on the platform and of course I need to run the entire track to reach the open car doors. And as I run I can see briefcases and arms flying and hear the grunts of those running and the measured pitter patter of flip flops behind me.
I keep up my pace in line and head to the first car.
And then everything slows when the lady behind me steps on my heel and my shoe lands on the platform. Barely a sorry and she's back to the chase. The stampede continues with no room to squeeze by the other eager commuters. No room to retrieve my shoe. For a moment I feel like Cindarella escaping the ball, leaving my shoe behind.
My shoe just sits there on the narrow strip of the platform and not one person stops to wonder why or to help the barefooted.
I resign myself to the fact that I might miss this train. And I wait for the coast to clear and pick up my shoe.
Luckily, I made it to the train with both shoes on and happily stroll along as if nothing even happened.

3 comments:

  1. Public transportation is dog-eat-dog ... that needs to be added to the disadvantage list :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=hes&p=1299

    Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John
    Went to bed with his breeches on;
    One shoe off, the other shoe on,
    Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am sure it came from that rhyme but has clearly been adulterated since. Thanks for adding that!

    ReplyDelete

Come again!