TODAY IN MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS:



I have seen this woman on my train about three times. She is late 50's, black Sally Bowles hair, black eye makeup, flapper hat, vintage clothes. The kind of person that looks the way New York in the 70's probably looked. The first time I saw her I was in the cross fire of a convo between her and a 60 year old Jamaican man who used to sell live ducks in the village. (oh yah) At that time she had her dog in a baby carriage and was taking it back for surgery after it had given birth.

I saw her a few more times before today when I heard her voice ringing from the e train.

"I'm sorry! I thought you were someone else..." she was saying to an older Asian woman. "I wanted to tell her my puppy died." They she sniffled and a wiped away a few tears.

How horrible is that? I mean this woman was clearly on the crazy side of the world (eclectic if you are from New York), in the whole - talking to bizarre people she knows on the train constantly way, and from that I had picked up the whole dog drama from beginning to end. I wanted to say something. I wanted to...tell her I could understand...

Phaea (touching Woman's shoulder): Hey, I'm sorry your dog died.
Woman (crying): It was my puppy. It was two weeks old. I woke up and it was dead. I STILL HAVE IT IN MY FREEZER I JUST CAN'T GET RID OF IT.

(Woman exits the train. Phaea is staring in shock, mouth agape.)

Hey- I deserved it. Never talk to strangers.