tuesday may 19

today i bought sara hennessy’s new comedy album trouble in saradise, and was looking forward to giving it a listen on my way home from the blue jays game. about five minutes into the album, i got on the spadina streetcar and found myself sitting at the very back near a middle-aged guy who seemed to be holding court with friends and strangers alike. while it wasn’t clear to me who exactly he knew before getting on the streetcar, he quickly became friends with practically everyone sitting in the back few seats, getting strangers to take off their headphones, having conversations with them, and giving and receiving some big laughs.

not wanting to derail my album-listening plan, i turned the volume up a notch or two, avoided eye contact with everyone, and didn’t let myself get sucked into the camaraderie going on around me, despite the fact that everyone else seemed to be into it. while i don’t think the guy ever actually addressed me or tried to get me to take off my headphones and join the discussion, i recognized the irony that would have resulted if he had. "no thank you sir, i’m the one jerk sitting back here who doesn’t want to join in on your fun time and have some laughs -- i’m trying to listen to a comedy album here."