Live from London

One of the interesting aspects, at least to me, of living in a big city is that you are never truly alone. If for some reason your family is not around and you feel like being around people, there are plenty of places you can go to feel right in the middle of things. The down side to that is that sometimes people are so used to being in crowds or around lots of people, that they forget that they are with other people and behave inappropriately for the circumstances.

The other morning, I was meeting a friend and I arrived at our meeting place a little early. I know that is a surprise to the people who know me because I usually run my whole life about 5 minutes late. Anyway, I got a beverage, sat myself at an outside table at this cafe on a busy street and proceeded to people watch a bit. Pretty soon, a young couple sat down at the table next to me. I noticed them when they walked up to the table because they were both extremely tall and very attractive, almost model-like attractive. I turn away from them and I am watching the traffic, counting the cars that cost more than most homes in the US. You would be surprised at how many that is! Or maybe not. A few minutes later, I become aware that model couple is arguing and that peaks my interest. For the most part they aren't speaking loudly enough for me to hear the words but occasionally a phrase or two comes through loud and clear. The gist, she broke up with him a month or so ago, she went crazy and a little slutty (his words - of course) and now she finds herself in the family way. He is upset about how this turn of events reflects on him (????) and she keeps telling him, it is not any of his business and he should butt out. He keeps arguing with her and she say something about not threatening her. At one point, she gets so angry that she screams at the tops of her lungs "F** you, it is not your problem, I am knocked up and it is none of your F***ing concern. GET THE F** OVER IT!" At the top of her lungs. I swear the traffic almost stopped. I thought for sure the two of them would slink away somewhere private to discuss this turn of events, but no. They stay there for at least another 1/2 hour. Seemingly oblivious to the uncomfortable looks they were getting.

My friend gets there and I bring her up to date but our conversation turns to what we did over the summer, getting her oldest child off to college, upcoming travel plans etc. When all of the sudden, this woman comes bolting out of the cafe running full steam. We look over and she is pulling at the shoulder bag of a man walking down the street. She yells "give that back, don't walk away". He lets her pull the bag off him and he continues walking down the street, very calmly. She sees us watching her and she explains it was her bag, the man had passed by her chair in the cafe and had calmly lifted it off the back of her chair and walked right out the door. It was kind of strange how the thief really didn't react, he just kept walking calmly down the street. He didn't run, he didn't panic, he just walked. She was lucky that she caught him; I have heard about quite a few incidents just like this one - purses taken, cell phones snatched. We chatted with the woman for a few moments, discussing how brave she was to run after him or how stupid she was (she agreed!), how it was a wake up call for all us to be a bit more aware in public of our belongings, how she had just gotten a very expensive cell phone and wouldn't it have been a shame to have lost it. My friend and I said goodbye and I went to go grocery shopping.

After shopping, I grab the bus home. There are a few people on the bus. I found a seat and started reading my paper. I become aware of two young women talking fairly loudly on the bus. One of them says to the other, "well, I was running pretty late and I was trying hard to get supper ready. The kids were acting up and then He comes home. He gets really angry that supper isn't ready and he reaches back and smacks me. He is smacking me about and all I can think is 'this isn't going to help supper get on the table quicker'". She is saying it in kind of a "don't you just hate it when . . . ." kind of voice. Yeah, Don't you just hate it when you are running late, you are trying to get dinner on the table and your boyfriend/husband starts smacking you around?" Ummmmmmmm - YEAH! I just hate that. But again, she wasn't whispering this, she was relating it in a news of the day fashion, not concerned about being overheard - just as I was doing earlier when I discussed our trip to Disneyland.

It seems that living in a large cosmopolitan city means you can always have some human contact. Sometimes it is just a little more contact than you want and just a little less human than you want as well.