Man on the Train

There was a young man who got on a train in the East, and he was headed to the West. When he got on, it was bright and sunny, and the train was full of men and women much like himself. He was just a young man full of optimism. The man sat down by the window and then the train departed.

Upon the first stop, there was a carnival which had large slides, big rides, a Ferris wheel, cotton candy machines, and all sorts of fun things. It was a festive, cheery scene that attracted the attention of the younger and more childish of them on the train. Those who wished to be there got off the train and ventured into the carnival. Then the train started up again and slowly departed the station.

For a moment, the man considered getting off at the first stop, but then he told himself the next stop may be even better than this one, and so he stayed in his seat.

The next stop was at the Hall of Justice where men and women of solid character and good nature flocked. There were a few amongst the train who peeked out of the window with interest. Those who wished to devote their lives to defending the innocent or prosecuting wrongdoers got off at this stop, there were only a few. The man watched them leave the train, and thought “Good for them, they’re good people. In another life I could have done such work, but as it stands, I feel like my calling is still out there somewhere else.” Then the train departed the station leaving a little lighter than when it arrived.

  At the next stop, there was a large job convention where businesses were recruiting eager people to join their company and help them gain an edge over the competition. All the titans of industry got off at this stop and made their way through to the convention, their minds bent on ruling the world. Again, this stop was not the most appealing to the man on the train. And the train once again departed with him aboard.

As of yet there was not one stop which caught the eye of the man on the train, and he stayed seated. Half of the train was now empty.

The next stop was different than the rest, they arrived at a suburban neighborhood that had beautifully painted middle-class houses with white picket fences and children playing about in the street. Freshly mowed lawns, friendly neighbors, and just an overall idyllic sense of ease. The man on the train thought hard about getting out here, but he felt there was still more out there for him. As a woman walked down the aisle, she was stopped by the man on the train. He asked her why she was getting off here, and she said it looks nice and peaceful.

“But it’s ordinary,” he told her, “It looks dull, unadventurous, and predictable. I know its ideal, but why settle?”

She replied, “What’s ‘settling’? People should be so happy to ‘settle’ down here. This is a good life,” and then she left the train.

He stayed seated on the train and watched the men and women who left wander through the beautiful neighborhood. To see them leave at first made him pity them, but as the doors shut and the train began to move along, his mood turned to jealousy. Perhaps even… regret? The train continued onward.

The next stop was a bar, and everyone who was weary and tired of riding on the train got off and slugged into the dirty, dimly lit pub, and retired to drink. They walked off the train knowing this was the best it was ever going to get for them. Sadly, the train started up again and left. The man on the train was almost alone, but not quite. There were still a few others left aboard the train, them all thinking paradise still lay ahead.

But the next stop was the dreariest one yet. The train stopped off at a penitentiary, that tall and cruel edifice surrounded by armed guards and barbed wires. The clouds were gray and out west it only seemed darker and cloudier. The rest of the people got off the train except for the man. He stopped them and asked why they would get off here. They replied by saying that this was the best we’re going to get now. All the other stops have passed us by.

Now the train was empty, and he was all alone. Darkness drew over the land like a blanket and the locomotive started up again, the man on the train its only passenger.

Suddenly, with a lack of bodies on the train, he could feel all the bumps and hear all the tedious little sounds which he could not before. He felt the warmth of the seat beside him grow cold. He was all alone on the train.

For a while there were no more stops and it seemed like “forever” had passed him by. The train moved forward no matter what, and was directed one way, it could not go backwards. Everything behind was permanent and it seemed like nothing laid ahead. Suddenly, he had nothing left to look forward to except for the end.

Finally, the train came to a screeching halt. It was the end of the line, and outside he saw nothing. Nothingness all around. The Conductor said, “This is the last stop, old timer. It’s time to get off the train.”

“Please, can’t I stay?”

“No, you’ve got to leave. This is the end.”

The man on the train slowly rose to his feet and feebly hobbled off the train. And when he stepped off, he was now an old man who regretted not getting off the train before the final destination.