West-Bound Train Connections

West-Bound Train Connections  August 9, 2013

Roaming around the country, I'm rubbing up against all kinds of conversations.  And there's something about the train that is more spacious and encourages human connections.  Most of us are here "for the long haul".  I'm on my way to Montana today and it's 26 hours for me.  Some of the Amish families I've talked with this morning are also going to Montana but have been traveling more straight through than I from both Pennsylvania and from Indiana.  Other folks were on the train before I joined in Minnesota last night and are going all the way to Portland, Oregon.

Our seats are quite roomy and I'm getting the hang of sleeping pretty well.  But during the day, the lounge/observation car is the best.  There are 4 person booths on each side of the aisle.  People share, since there are limited spaces.  Some play cards, or snack.  I'm not only writing this blog, but theoretically will finish up a dangling chart summarizing the energy and mechanical equipment design characteristics of the Salvation Army shelter in Raleigh that was my favorite energy model project.  And right now there is a young woman fiddling. 

She's from the Twin Cities and on her way out to Whitefish Mountain in Montana.  A mandolin player has joined her and they are jamming.  Their choice at the moment is the City of New Orleans- appropriately about a train!  It already seemed to be a friendly crowd and the music is expanding possibilities for strangers to connect across this shared pleasure.

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An hour later and our fiddler inspired a young keyboardist (no piano in tow) to enter in.  His mix of full-on zest and enthusiasm with self-possession reminds me of Shane.  He has one song he knows with a cup.  Well…. he had so much fun, and so did the audience, that he offered an encore and suddenly there was an even younger percussionist in the aisle.  At first she just watched, but when her mom offered that she had learned the same song herself at camp, everyone encouraged and we suddenly had a duet.  I loved it!