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    On the Metro:: Got Me Thinking
    On the Metro:: Got Me Thinking
    On the Metro:: Got Me Thinking
    Ebook136 pages2 hours

    On the Metro:: Got Me Thinking

    By John Nelson

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    About this ebook

    Every day we see the mundane, the same old same old. But, if you look closely enough there is a lot going on. A lot of good things. If we stop for a moment, and think, we will see that the world is not so gray and hopeless. It is not routine. It isnt even boring. If we stop and think of the wonders around us, there is something there. Something that Got me thinking.

    I began writing the 420 character (or less) thoughts on Facebook statuses so that I could pass some time as I moved from point A to point B, and perhaps back again. But somewhere along the line, people began to respond to the thoughts. Folks grew passionate about getting up, having coffee, and reading the metro musings. It became something to pass on through Facebook, or email.

    The purpose was to simply write down some positive thoughts while in the most negative, barren part of my day. It was a way to find beauty in a gray world, seemingly filled with hatred, death, famine and any other horrid things that come to your mind. This book, for the lack of a better term, is just thoughts that you or I could have while riding on a train.

    It is just something, anything, nothing, which, for the lack of a better term, got me thinking.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateMar 30, 2011
    ISBN9781450297783
    On the Metro:: Got Me Thinking
    Author

    John Nelson

    John A. Nelson is considered a master craftsman by scroll saw enthusiasts and is a frequent contributor to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. He is the author of 10 books about scroll sawing, including The Complete Guide to Making Wooden Clocks, 50 Easy Weekend Scroll Saw Projects, Making Wooden Baskets on Your Scroll Saw, and Inspirational Scroll Saw Projects. John has spent thousands of hours at the scroll saw, authored dozens of patterns, and built some of the most beautiful examples of scrollwork to be found.

    Read more from John Nelson

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      Book preview

      On the Metro: - John Nelson

      Dedications

      •   To my wife Kristina, my biggest fan, and my best friend. I love you so much.

      •   To Wendy Hickey Caliguire, who is always first to reciprocate wonderful thoughts (tweet tweet).

      •   To Andy Nishida, the first to inspire this book, and my first disciple if this ever becomes a religion (LOL).

      •   To Robert Guisepi, whoever you are, you still taught me to look at the best in things, at the history, and the purpose for our existence.

      •   Stacy McCormick Burton, who has been a muse and you’ve never known it. You’ve always challenged me to write because of your own talents.

      •   To Brian King, our debates made me think of the Jefferson and Adams letters, perfect examples of political deliberations.

      •   To Kevin Cross, a man who showed me that if you try hard enough, dreams can come true, in any category.

      •   To Robin Roberson Heimer, your humor kept me loving to write each day, especially after a cup of coffee.

      •   To RaeLynn Greene Reynolds, who proves that despite animosity, anguish and pain, singular incidents do not define a lifetime of good expericences.

      •   To Debbie VanOrden Darioosh’s family, I hope these writings help open your young minds to more of the world. Keep learning as much as you can.

      •   To Chuck Boggs, an honest soul in the land of the rising sun. You see the world in a perspective that we should all aspire to.

      •   To Skeeter Langley, whose talks about history and life helped me think about our world in unique ways, but still in a down to earth way. Your examples always remind me that I must always do the right and honorable thing too.

      •   To Abby and Owen Hart, my reminders that a child’s eyes will forever be the secret to mankind’s survival. As you grow, I hope you never lose that innocence.

      •   To Helen Nelson, Mom. Everything I do, will do, have done, it is in honor of your sacrifices for me.

      •   And finally, to all of my Facebook friends, who have read, Liked, and commented on the musings since the first day. May we be friends forever, wonder always, think universally, debate for the better, and do it a long, long time.

      Thanks folks!

      Contents

      Dedications

      Introduction

      July 2009

      August 2009

      September 2009

      October 2009

      November 2009

      December 2009

      January 2010

      February 2010

      March 2010

      April 2010

      May 2010

      June 2010

      July 2010

      August 2010

      September 2010

      October

      November 2010

      December 2010

      About the Author

      Introduction

      January 31, 2009 at 11:29 pm

      Sitting on the Metro trains on the way to work, yawning. It is gonna be a long day.

      This is how it all started. I was riding the train to work. While staring out the window, as scenes passed for the 1000th time it seemed, I grew bored of seeing the same view each day. Still, looking out the window was far better, and more polite than looking in the eyes of my fellow travelers, packed in the metal tube that stops periodically to add more sardines to the can. The more we crowd into the cars, the more the thousand-mile-stare practice came into play. The more we looked at varied inanimate objects, quietly avoiding eye contact, speech, or movement, as we swayed to the beat of the tracks.

      There had to be more than this for each hour long commute to the city. There had to be something I could to pull the mind out of the lull of the monotonous silence of the crowd. And then it came to me… six months later.

      In moments like this, while you trudge to work, school, day care, etc., we all have time to do what humans do best. We have time to think about things. About life. Rocks. Rain. Each other. Society. The future. We have moments that allow us to stop and think, reason, remember and reminisce. For those times when we sit in our cars, on trains or on planes, where our hands and feet are stuck in a fixed position, tangled in the binds of transportation safety, our minds are free to wander and roam. So, why not?

      With my trusty PDA, I began to write. Facebook seemed like a fun place to share my thoughts. I created a paragraph, then hit send. But…

      &^%$!

      Facebook only allows 420 characters in the Status Update. Once again, I’m limited. Crowded.

      &^%$!

      Oh well, why should I let this stop me? My words are limited, but the thoughts are boundless, outside of the train, and other people can share the thought and expand upon the subject. Perhaps, this commute time, as drudgery filled as it is, is the only time we get to free our minds of the daily tasks and responsibilities. Perhaps, for once, we can think about other things beyond ourselves and see the world though different eyes. See beyond the glass of the train, car or airplane. Maybe, this can be a catalyst for a new exchange of ideas that will allow mankind to grow again, instead of crowding itself into… this Metro train.

      But I digress…

      I began writing the 420 character (or less) thoughts so that I could pass some time as I moved from point A to point B and perhaps back again. But somewhere along the line, people began to respond to the thoughts. Folks grew passionate about getting up, having coffee, and reading the metro musings. It became something to pass on through Facebook, or email. Someone reportedly copied the text into a lesson plan for home school children. Office workers would gather around figurative water coolers to see what was posted. Someone called some of the people that often responded to the postings as groupies. I had a following.

      There was a funny moment where my friend Andy Nishida began to refer to the daily positive affirmation postings as words for a new religion called Majorism, where people would worship by riding on Metro trains, repeating the paragraphs over and over. The cult of Major would wear suits and carry Blackberries, and would write prose about their daily commutes while staring out windows.

      Inevitably, a few people began saying that I should write a book. And perhaps someday I will. But for now, I will just rewrite most of the thoughts that were posted, to allow us to stop and think, reason, remember and reminisce.

      If anything, I would like for those of you daring or bored enough to read through this book to stop and think about what the moment was like. Think about the day that it was written. The hour. The news of the day. Think back to the time and place, or imagine what I was seeing that day. Don’t’ try to guess what my sensibilities are, or my politics, or thoughts on God. Don’t try to reason why I wrote what I wrote. I assure you, it was completely random. It was what I saw that day, in someone’s newspaper, outside the window, or what someone said or did. Sometimes, it was my feelings toward and event or person on the train. At times, I got political.

      But for the most part, the purpose was to simply write down some positive thoughts while in the most negative, barren part of my day. It was a way to find beauty in a gray world, seemingly filled with hatred, death, famine and any other horrid things that come to your mind. This book, for the lack of a better term, is just thoughts that you or I could have while riding on a train. It is just something, anything, nothing, which got me thinking.

      July 2009

      July 8, 2009 at 9:42 am

      Sitting on Metro. Bored. Got me thinking. Yesterday someone told me that I have a rich man’s problem of having too many choices. Perhaps that is so. And it sounds like the better problem to have. But is doesn’t negate the fact that there is still a problem to be solved. A rich man has everything, except the one thing he needs the most. The answer to all his problems.

      July 9, 2009 at 3:34 pm

      On the Metro train. Thinking about life. Got me thinking. Life is to be lived and enjoyed, thankful for the time we have. To spend that time withering in dark corners, afraid of the light, is to die a slow painful and sorrowful death. Don’t let fear lead you from the light.

      August 2009

      August 28, 2009 at 4:30 pm

      On the Metro. The Future. Got me thinking. Took the metro in this morning. Saw an 8 year old kid doing the Post’s crossword. Thought Amazing! Until I found out he was coloring in the blocks. But for a moment I had hope for the future. I thought, its gonna be ok. That moment should sustain me for the day.

      September 2009

      September 2, 2009 at 6:58 am

      On the Metro. Disabled. Got me thinking. On the train ride home I noticed this mentally handicapped person looking around and smiling intensely. I began looking at what she saw as pleasurable. You know, everything is fun when you stop analyzing details. I’m smiling now. Makes you think… which one of us is really disabled.?

      September 2, 2009 at 2:28 pm

      Sitting on the Metro, noticing a big zit on the back of this guy’s neck. Got me thinking. What if this universe is just a zit on the neck of a guy sitting on a train in a bigger universe. Geez… I need some air."

      September 6, 2009 at 3:43 pm

      Not on Metro. Labor Day constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Got me thinking. This weekend, I’m gonna thank those whom are often unseen, but depend upon so much. The janitors, postmen, etc. For example, I’m gonna leave a nice card on my garbage can. Could that catch on? Please join me in saying thanks."

      September 9, 2009 at 7:29 am

      On the Metro… I find people are reluctant to sit beside me because they see my large size. Butt (pun) those who do sit find that I don’t take up much space. They seem surprised that they have a while cushion and sometimes don’t even touch. It is the shoulders… I think."

      September 10, 2009 at 5:09

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