Waving to trains…

My family and I went on the Christmas Train in Santa Cruz the other day. It departs from the Beach Boardwalk and slowly chugs to the edge of town. And then it comes right back. Along the way, you listen to live Christmas acoustic music and try to get in the Christmas spirit. 

What got my heartstrings wasn’t the Christmas music (which was lovely) or the hot chocolate (I was actually pretty upset that they had warm cider instead of hot chocolate - I mean, c’mon now.. What kind of operation are they running, anyway?). 

Alex noticed it first. She said she had to hold back those warm, sentimental, happy tears when she realized what was happening…

As we choo-chood along, there were multitudes (yes, MULTITUDES - no joke!) of people waving to us. It was like they couldn’t help themselves. And we who were on the train couldn’t help but wave back. It was a wave-a-thon the entire way. 

People walking along the street, couples holding hands, and groups of friends stumbling out of bars would stop and wave. The train cut through the historic part of Santa Cruz, and people dressed up in Christmas sweaters and elf costumes sat with friends on their porches to wave at the Christmas train. 

But what really got me were those waving at us from their front stoops and porches alone. We passed a man sitting alone on a cardboard box leaning against his tattered backpack. If it were me, I’d shake a fist at that train. Get your Christmas cheer out of my face. But instead, he lit up. His grin shone across his face, and he gave a wholehearted wave - the biggest I had seen all night.

I wondered what people were doing alone and started making stories up in my mind. Maybe we were their only company that night. Perhaps this woman lost her spouse of 20 years. Maybe that one man always stood out on the porch with his son, but this year, he went off to college. As he waves, he somberly muses… It’s just not the same. 

Who knows? 

But, wow… What an observation about the human movement toward connection, acknowledgment, and hospitality. 

I saw a good part of our species the other night. It’s incredible what a simple wave will do. 

Merry Christmas. 

In Joy,
Jonas+