Some people wait their whole lives for their ship to come in.

I, personally, just want my train to come in.

Specifically, this one:

It’s funny, I was actually talking to my first and last tattoo artist about this yesterday as he installed an itty bitty heart on my ring finger – how much fun it can be riding public transit trains. While I’d love this to happen to me more than pretty much anything, I am (as a woman of wonder) eternally curious about social phenomena like this – events where people all commune for the same purpose of celebrating life. Does it just take one person to break the ice? A certain type of person? That’s gotta be tough. Because I’m sure when he first stands up, people are 50-110% thinking, “Ah, shit. After this speech, he’s def pulling out a grenade.” And I’m sure he knows people are nervous initially, too. And that’s gotta make it harder – remaining confident in those moments where you’ve gotta prove you’re worth following. No one wants to play follow the leader – whether it’s the boss at the job you’re heading to on that train or the head of a Saturday Night Fever style commuter congo line – when said leader’s a bumbling asshat. So, it seems like that’s a lotta courage to garner up – not just standing up, but doing it confidently enough to recruit riders to partake in a wiggle fest.

But you know what I never took into account?

The camera.

I feel like there’s something about having a camera that connects people in a domino effect kindofa way. I mean, first, if you see someone recording the guy addressing everyone, then suddenly it feels legit. You know he’s (probably) not some pariah of society about to bomb the train since he has at least one friend (that camera man over there). Plus you know someone believes in his socially entertaining skills enough to take time to record it, so your interest’s piqued at least a little, too.

The next level of connection is that you want to join in – but don’t wanna look stupid; so the moment other people do, you’re more willing. Misery may love company, but so does mirth. Then, it comes back to the camera again – in television society, I think it makes some people feel suddenly relevant to have a camera on them if they aren’t used to it. You can only be exposed to so much ubiquitous exalting of reality stars and politicians alike being constantly recorded before it starts to feel like that’s something reserved for the elite. And now someone wants you as the subject. The funny thing, though? All’a this makes sense in my little brain – and usually my self-assessment on the psychology of social habits makes me wanna do those habits less. Not with this, though.

I can break down train gyration mentality all I want.

I still wanna break it down on a train with these randos.

(Maybe I should start by riding the train. Ever.)