Train stations are wonderful places to watch people. Each has purpose, each has a story, each has know joys, each has endured sorrows. If you can devote yourself to the task, you can see these things in the faces of the people who line up in front of you, or even just pass in front of you.

And if you try, you can easily imagine how the woman passing by might – had the circumstances of your lives been different – have been your sister, your wife, your aunt or a dear friend. The man passing by might have been a coworker, a hero of your youth, the corner grocer or your father’s friend.

If you can spend time with thoughts and impressions like these, you will be made better by them.

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So, next time you find yourself in a situation like this, take advantage of it. Grab a drink, or a sandwich, and soak these people in; consider that they could easily have been an important part of your life, and that you would have loved them with all your heart.