The temperature has been hovering around the zero mark today, and yesterday's thick 15 cm blanket of snow is turning grey and mushy.
I was scheduled at Osgoode station this afternoon, which was a convenient time and place for me today.
Our "official" subway schedule of rotating stations has started repeating itself now. Since October, I've had an opportunity (at some time of the day or night) to play at every subway station that has a performance space. I've played at sixteen stations so far. I still haven't visited Runnymede, Ossington, Dundas West, Finch, Wilson, Eglinton or Queen.
But today I'm happy to be back at Osgoode, which has been one of my favourites from the start. It's downtown, relatively near my home, and boasts a long corridor where people can listen long enough to decide whether or not to donate. The acoustics are good and there's a steady trickle of people through the station even in non-peak hours.
I have a theory about the stations near interesting walkable neighborhoods. (Osgoode is a short walk from the popular shopping & eating corridor of Queen Street West.) I suspect that in these locations, more people are simply out enjoying the day, in a flexible-schedule sort of way, maybe meeting friends for coffee or shopping. They're ambling a little more. They're a little more inclined to pause.
Today I noticed that more people than usual seemed to be catching my eye and smiling. Often I'm the one catching people's eyes, but today it seemed to be the other way around. Also, a higher-than-average number of people took a moment to speak to me and say something encouraging.
When I rode the subway before I became a busker, I used to be embarassed to catch a musician's eye if I couldn't donate any money. If you've ever felt that way yourself, let me reassure you that a simple smile or nod is very much appreciated (of course, money and smiles are especially appreciated.)
It occurs to me that any form of positive human interaction can be seen as "change".
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Because it's still not exactly spring outside, I considered wearing a drab but warm winter jacket today. Then at the last minute I changed my mind and put on my bright red spring coat. It's not as warm, but it's definitely more cheerful.
I was very pleased that I did because I ran into a friend who told me it looked great--and also told me she owns the exact same one! (I'm sure it looks great on her as well.)
I love these chance meetings. So often (as was the case today), they happen with people that I've thought about recently and wanted to see again--but might not have had the opportunity otherwise.
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I left Osgoode after just over an hour, feeling so damp and cold in the drafty corridor that I realized I was shivering.
As I climbed the stairs to street level, I saw thick white flakes of snow falling again, turning the grey world white once more.
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