Monday, October 5, 2015

People flows

Flows of humanity fascinate me, where personally, when I had one, the commute into work was a great one for consideration. Of course it does help when involved in such things to look at the big picture here and there. Otherwise it could seem more like a burden. But I'd become fascinated with glancing looks at people's faces when riding the bus, or walking along the sidewalk as best I could.

Driving into work was an entirely different thing, but it is interesting how much you can notice when traffic slows to a snarl. But then again it was much easier to see as a stream, as on the freeway for instance, we're all going the same way--often way too slowly. But that gives more time to see what people are doing in their cars. Which could be a little bit of everything from eating, to things I think if I describe I fear I validate. Like there are things you ponder about what people will do, or try to do on the way to work in their cars.

However the way, and so many ways, but simply enough, so many people with a similar purpose--get to work.

Turns out there's this cool word for flowing together of two streams: confluence.

Maybe the commute is a confluence of activity with purpose. Along with all those people moving about is the purpose of that motion. Could feel it pulling everyone along? Including me?

Five days a week, twice a day, this chance to get a feeling of being a part of this massive stream of humanity.

My fascination with this confluence of humanity was at least partly with concern about the notion of how different we all are. So much focus on conflicts or disparities, but maybe it's more exciting to think on such, and less to consider when more similar than not.

There is a certain peace there as well, where I saw it more on the bus, or train or walking along the sidewalk. Actually walking the sidewalk is where I think you can feel the flow more than elsewhere. And there is something almost psychic about how well people moved. Those senses of how to do it, so much so that you can quickly tell when coming up on someone who is out of it. Out of flow.

Humanity flows around them on the sidewalk, where that can be something to ponder as well, and sometimes there is a decision point: do you stop? Is help necessary? But rarely was it.

How many find time to appreciate how often people are flowing together in some way?

That thing you have to do to get to that place you have to go, if you're going to make a living. But I often thought it was a beautiful thing. Comforting.

There are those things which are stable in our lives which can feel good to me, when things go awkward, or worse. A point of reference for a return to stability when jarred by life. The daily commute was one of them. Finding comfort in what was there. Not as just some necessary activity, but as a point of connection with so many others.


James Harris

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