It’s Valentines Day in one cold city. Ice storms and freezing rain have driven everyone indoors. On the subway, people are so rugged up it’s not worth the effort to disrobe during the commute home.
I saw a woman and a man, sitting opposite each other in the same carriage as me, writing Valentines’ Day cards to their respective Significant Other. At one point they looked up, saw what the other was doing, and exchanged a laugh – one of those New York moments in which total strangers share a deep connection for about five seconds.
The best indoors sight of the day was that of a man who took out a cordless shaver from his pocket and proceeded to shave his face with the assistance of a handheld mirror. He accomplished this while standing upright, glued to one of the poles that we all rely on at least a few times a week to keep us standing while the carriage hurtles onward. His yarmulke also managed to remain firmly in place during this performance, which could only have been for the benefit of a Valentine closer to another subway stop.
