JOY ON THE SUBWAY

Her name was Joy.

She looked to be in her mid-40's, short & shaggy salt-and-pepper hair, bejeweled glasses hanging on a string around her neck.

I knew her name was Joy because she was sitting across from me - and introducing herself to each new person that happened to sit beside her.

191st: I got on and so did an intimidating, large black man. He sat next to Joy. She said, "Hi there, friend. What's your name?" After he mumbled something, she said, "I'm Joy. It's pretty cold out there today, huh." And thus preceeded to have a successful & pleasant (if begrudgingly at first) conversation with him.

125th: The man got off and a small, frail, and extremely old Korean woman sat down. I know she was Korean because she and Joy talked about it. They also talked about how they both had only daughters, and what might it have been like to have had a son.

59th: The Korean woman bid Joy a good day, got off, and was replaced by an average young-ish man in a suit (who might have worked in an office in Anywhere, USA - but instead, I now know he works for Morgan Stanley). He even had his iconic white ipod headphones in when Joy started talking to him. I thought for sure he'd ignore her... but miracles happen every day.

14th: Joy and Mr. Morgan Stanley were still chatting away when I got off the A train. I started to think how that woman must either be crazy or doing some sort of project. I mean, why else would she just start talking to all those people. And then I thought, perhaps I'm going crazy - for she was merely being a Human. More so than anyone else on that train. And even if just for a few stops, she brought out the Human Spirit in a few lucky souls.