For approximately
8 months I used public transportation to travel to hospitals in Boston and
Cambridge. My primary routes involved
leaving from Norwood Central via commuter rail and disembarking at Copley
Square to then catch the Heath Street trolley green line to Brigham and Women’s
or disembarking at South Station to catch the red line trolley to Harvard
Square in Cambridge for Spaulding Hospital.
Always held close my “Charlie” card and senior commuter rail pass made
traveling into Boston very reasonable and easy.
I began to treat my travels as adventures: observing and listening to people.
I grew incredibly tired of “noise” everywhere especially cell phone
conversations on the streets, in subway cars, in coffee shops, in the bathrooms
EVERYWHERE. Conversations were never stopped or interrupted while crossing intersections,
getting on trains, elevators, escalators, and meetings. My traveling companion
Tina and I were reprimanded twice for not knowing we were on the commuter rail
quiet car but we were only trying to catch up and establish the day’s agenda. The quiet car is very nice! HOW DID WE EVER
COMMUNICATE BEFORE CELL PHONES? People have no problem bearing their inner most
secrets and problems out in public!
Street musicians often play music which is not pleasant and in the
subway stations way too loud.
I could not believe
how nice South Station is as I had not been there for many years. It was interesting to see people from all
over the world gawk in Harvard Yard.
Copley Square is still my favorite Boston destination with my memories
of my first library job at the Boston Public Library. The building is beautiful but all my favorite
research departments are gone. I had a
nostalgic walk through the McKim building remembering staff and books. Believe it or not with no internet we
actually functioned and had to have a lot of knowledge at our fingertips in books! The homeless people and alcoholics in Copley
Square saddened me - I wondered what their stories were especially the young people.
Bicycle riders and automobile drivers
share equal blame for not following “rules of the road”. Many bicycle riders and pedestrians in
Harvard Square created their own “rules” of the road.
I heard so many
different languages – some I had no clue as to what they were I met a wonderful group of women from
Australia on a two week garden tour – this group decided to go see Harvard
Yard. We even talked politics as it was around election time. The next day they were headed for New York
and guess what happened next Hurricane Sandy! I felt so sorry for them knowing
they were in the city during that chaotic time. I saw so many many styles of
shoes but wondered how some women would be walking 30 years from now. Very high
platform sandals, or 5 to 6 spike heels or very long pointed toe styles made my
feet twinge just looking at them. Almost
everyday I looked around to see what people were reading. I am pleased to
report that the BOOK IS NOT DEAD! Books,
kindles, nooks, cell phones, computers, newspapers, magazines – you name it - all
manner of ways to read. I was pleased to
see a fair number of knitters in my travels.
Boston really has
quite a good transit system. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. You can reach many parts of the city via
trolley or bus. The library has many
museum passes for Norwood residents or Norwood business people to use for
Boston adventures and anyone can borrow the guidebooks for adults and
children. Log onto our website
Norwoodlibrary.org to see our selection of museum passes and you can book ahead
online! Or stop in or call us at 781-769-0200. ENJOY BOSTON
