Who Said That?

Son #2 was home for a few days from NYC. I asked him what the strangest or funniest or scariest (which I added reluctantly because who wants to know that? not this mama) thing he has seen in the subway.

I follow Subway Creatures on instagram; I know there is strange stuff to be seen:


Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDwEgOLjM1/

Son didn’t have any photos like this, just a story.

He said one time he saw a guy walking on the tracks, you know, looking for stuff. There were a few people on the platform with him, and one of them yelled down,

Hey! Get off the tracks!

The track walker heard, paused from his search for treasures, looked up at the platform, and asked the platform in an angry tone,

Who said that?

The good Samaritan knew better than to step forward to be recognized. Track walker scanned the people on the platform then hopped up out of the tracks. The platform (including Son) held its breath. Track walker scuttled off without further incident.

As Son tells me the story, I can see it was a little scary for him, but he was also amused at the absurdity of the situation, including the absurdity (to him) that the women on the platform gravitated to him for safety. (I get it: he was the nearest gentleman.)

It reminded me of a college visit when he was almost 18, one night looking for a place to eat dinner. We poked our head into a pizza place that looked sketchy. “Will you protect me?” I asked him. “You are the Mama Bear. You are supposed to protect me,” was his reply. And so I was, and so I did. We kept looking.

Happy Mother’s Day, to Mama Bears everywhere.

4 Comment

  1. BG says: Reply

    Glad son #2’s subway story ended well. Happy Mother’s Day!

  2. Jen metz says: Reply

    Hi Laura, I Love this and I’m definitely going to follow that Instagram subway account too!

    I like that you linked to your prior post about “gentlemen/gentle persons” and I commented there. Im copying here what I said in the comments under that post (and fyi for other readers- Harrison is my 15 yo who is on the spectrum and articulates his learning process about social conventions in a most interesting manner)

    Well said Laura! I am glad you linked to this! . I will share it with Harrison who is currently discussing the concept of chivalry and trying to figure out how it fits into a gender equality minded world.
    He says , “it’s great that the first person on Mars might be a woman (bc genders are seen as equals these days) but it’s also ok that men can look out for women and that “chivalry is not dead” !

    He likes saying chivalry. (I have to admit it is a great sounding word. Do you like it?)

    Overall, he’s a little resentful that women are to be seen as equals but also still deserving of some preferential treatment due to chivalry. But he’s coming to terms with it. I do tell him that during cave man days, the stronger lmen had to psychically protect the women and That there may be some carry over from then.

    Laura, I love your posts and observations about the finer and funnier things in life. You are an amazing writer- well spoken, original and thoughtful.

  3. Christina Galante says: Reply

    Happy Mother’s Day LK!
    Thank you as always, for your great story telling and this smile inducing recant of son #2’s NYC subway tale.
    And thank you for being the Mama Bear to so MANY young people, sharing your wisdoms and sage advice.
    Best day to you!
    CG

    1. laurakornish says: Reply

      BG, JM, CG:
      You are all boy moms! A special Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!
      Thanks for the sweet words. It always warms my heart to see your comments.
      xo
      LK

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