As my second month of commuting to the big New York City apple begins, I feel as
though I am embodying the movie character Elle Woods — Reese Witherspoon in Legally
Blonde. Instead, use your imagination and make me her twin sister – a doctoral student – now
one of the many Long Island commuters who follows along the train for a day in the big city.

I recall spending my first trip quite simply riding the train. I mean literally – looking
around and absorbing the monotony of the daily morning commute. One of the hundreds of
other Long Island bugs that migrate nearly 30 miles every day to go to work.

Daily train ride etiquette includes keeping to yourself and not causing an above average
amount of noise earlier than 8:30. Older folks dressed in suits and ties, blue collar workers with
their daily tools, and youngsters who have recently joined the work force. Most choose to keep
to themselves – closing their eyes and hoping to catch a couple minutes more of sleep before a
full workday in NYC.

You will notice the crescendo-ing chatter as the clock creeps closer to a non-peak train
hour. As 9:30 creeps along, you will begin to hear people chatting on the phone or whispering
with one another in their seats. As the day awakens, so do perspectives and willingness to
engage in the world and be present in the moment.

I unsurprisingly found myself talking about my struggle commuting to a friend of mine. I
described the loss of time and precious hours of each day spent on the train. An older
gentleman overheard my chatter and chimed in his thoughts about my experience.

He pointed out the paradox of my thinking and worrying about which train to take each
evening. Suggesting the loss of time and energy spent focusing on the inevitable fact that I will
be returning home to Long Island each evening. “Instead, you can find something to do on the
train. Close your eyes in the morning – try to catch a couple minutes of sleep. In the afternoon,
try to do something you like or enjoy that can make your time better spent.”

It almost feels criminal to say that the arrival to my final stop is usually around 10 or
maybe 11 o’clock on an “early morning.” Imagine if I repeated that to the everyday hard-
working American who awakens hours before me each day to work hard to provide for their
families. Who am I to complain about commuting from my nice house in my nice clothes to my nice train station to work in a nice air-conditioned office building? I am lucky to be providing a service to people seeking guidance and collecting such valuable experiences.

This simple reminder from this gentleman helped me to reframe my perspective of the
everyday commute. Instead, each day is an opportunity to spend an hour alone before facing
the day. An hour to sit with my coffee, breakfast biscuit, or my book. Instead of a daily hassle,
the daily commute can be an opportunity for growth. Two hours each day is enough time to do
and learn so much. If I choose to take this hour and waste it, of course I’m going to waste it. But
instead, if I choose to change my attitude and make the most of this time, I choose to open my
mind and create a new possibility.

So next time, hopefully, instead of waiting for an older gentleman to suggest how I can
make my life more tolerable, I will choose to look at my life with the flexibility and openness
with which it genuinely is. Each day is a new beginning for me to be able to literally do or learn
whatever I want. All of us have a morning commute each day, so why not choose to make it a
good one?