When I need to work in the office, I take a single train ride into Manchester. I get the first train of the day (currently at 05:45) for a few reasons. I’ve always been an early starter and really appreciate those first couple of largely uninterrupted hours at work – I get more meaningful work done between 06:30 – 08:30 than I do during the rest of the day. Also, really crowded spaces tend to overwhelm me. I will do almost anything to avoid the frequent hustle and bustle of rush-hour trains and the 05:45 tends to be quite a bit quieter than those scheduled an hour or two later – I almost always find my own space, without feeling hemmed in like a sardine (and yes – that will be me right down the end of the platform, waiting patiently to board the last of the six carriages…). Additionally, fewer people means there’s less chance of someone sitting in my carriage watching video content without using headphones / earbuds. It pains me to admit this but that sort of thing, although seemingly much more common these days, really annoys me. The flip side of this, however, is that anyone making any noise is much more prominent, which can be problematic. Of course, in these instances, rather than say something and potentially start the day with a bit of confrontation, I’ll often just close my book, pop in my earbuds, and listen to some music or a podcast (how quintessentially British is that avoidance?!) Though there was an occasion a few weeks ago where I just sat and listened to a bloke who I found to be fascinating…

This guy got on the train soon after me, made himself comfortable, and fired up his laptop. Nothing unusual there – plenty people do this during the daily commute – though what I was really intrigued by was the fact that he was huffing and puffing at absolutely everything. Literally every few seconds and really quite loudly too. There were frequent tuts, sighs and other noises which indicated general annoyance / dissatisfaction. Despite it really getting on my nerves, I also found it mesmerising, especially as my mind kicked into overdrive. What, exactly, was making him this way? Was it simply the prospect of a working day ahead in a job he hated? Was it the apparent need to work on the train, before getting into work? Was it kickstarting his day at such an early hour? Or perhaps a task he didn’t want to do? Or could it have been a general sense of apathy toward life in general?

Due to the delightful way my brain works, I then started self-analysing, and asking myself loads of questions (in my head, of course – not out loud!). Do I do that? If so, how frequently? Surely not all the time, though if it is then Jeez, how must that look to others? Do I do it at work? If not tutting, huffing and puffing, then do I project any negative vibes like this?

I then felt bad for being judgemental. I was making assumptions based on a fairly short train journey. He could have been a really nice guy who was just having a bad few minutes, though I couldn’t get away from the fact that I felt he was an annoyance and absolutely a glass-half-empty type person. My natural tendency these days is to try and avoid people like this, which clearly shaped my view on this occasion.

Ultimately though, I got to thinking about whether this is a good way to live. The guy was clearly dissatisfied with something and appeared to be finding fault in anything and everything (i.e. as soon as he sat down, as he opened his laptop, as he put that away and pulled out a newspaper – the same grumbling sounds were there throughout). This can’t be healthy for anyone. I appreciate we’re not all the same, though this simply cannot be beneficial for anyone – surely it’s better to try to see the good in life rather than the bad (as difficult as that can be these days)? Or is that an incredibly naïve view I carry these days?

I’ve previously written about knocking something on the head if you’re not enjoying it, whether that’s as simple as reading a book, watching a film, or listening to a new album, or something a little more serious, such as a job or a relationship. Change can happen, no matter how small or large it is – life really is too short to be spending valuable time on things that don’t nourish the soul and make us smile. Achieving that state of mind may even stop us from subconsciously tutting and sighing our way through train journeys / life itself…

Best wishes and take care.

Mick