I love NYC but I’ll be the 1st to admit that one of my pet peeves about the train is that it’s a germ fest!!! A closed in tight space where people from all parts of the world can sneeze, pick, wipe, cough, touch, excrete, and my germophobe list goes on…. I have taken to covering my nose / mouth with a handy scarf, holding the pole with a glove, napkin, or sleeved arm, or just moving to another seat / car just to avoid offenders!
I have noted people in the past wearing masks. To which I inwardly comment & judge that if you’re so sensitive that you have to wear a mask, then you probably shouldn’t be riding the train in the 1st place! I was also slightly jealous of their excersised choice to avoid germs. Why wasn’t it more common to wear masks on the train? We should all be doing it. No I don’t need a receipt or change bk from my metrocard purchase. Instead, I would gladly take a free mask!

Well yesterday I became the crazy looking lady on the train! I was leaving a chemo treatment & they offer the masks complimentary at the front desk of my treatment center since chemo drugs can make you more succeptable to infections, etc. I dove into that box like it was a box of Hershey’s kisses!!! I hopped on the train & endured the stares.
It dawned on me that I was now probably being perceived as I had judged others in the past. Isn’t it funny when you end up walking in someone else’s shoes??? I noticed that people wouldn’t sit near me…even though I was dressed decently & reading a respectable book. I admit the experience has shifted my perspective on judging others. Now I know that people may be going through something & the last thing they need is someone staring or judging. I think in the future I’ll just say a quick prayer for that person’s wellness & health….as well as my own! 😉

What about you? Have you ever judged others only to be put in the same position? Did your experience shift your perspective?