Donny

When I first started catching the train again, I used to look downwards on the people reading the Mx.  Reading something for free?  Surely they could do better. Why not get a book?  Or have a fantastic iPod collection.

Of course, after a while of reading it, I started thinking it was the best paper ever.  Light on the doom and gloom, funny at times, and just the right length to read.  I especially loved the 'Overheard' and 'Looking at You' sections.  I think the Overheard stuff had to be made up, some of the quotes were just so stupid.  

I don't really get how the 'Looking at You' section worked either. "To the blonde girl on the 5:33am train from Emu Plains, I was the guy who half smiled at you. Coffee sometime?"  I think it's just that delightful blend of romanticisim and stalkerness that really appeals.

The last time I caught a train, someone actually talked to me.  I wasn't reading Mx at the time, but it was a start.  The guy seemed happy to make small talk, not intrusive, just generally pleasant chat.  It was about a few minutes into it when I realised that he wasn't quite all there.  But that shouldn't matter, should it?  

Are the only people that have conversations with strangers stalkers, or those who aren't quite 'normal'?  

Lately, I've had this dream of one day, the whole carriage spontaneously erupts to discuss what's happening in Mx.  It's pretty unrealistic, I know.  The weird thing is, I can see 60% of people reading it, reading the exact same stories, all silently.  Maybe I'm being weird?