A Communion of Commuters

I recently moved to Toronto to join the Novalis team. This is the first time I have been commuting on a train, and then walking any distance to my job. And what struck me is the kind of strange communion that exists among commuters: as I walk from Union Station, it is almost like a religious procession. People acknowledge each other’s presence, they hold doors for each other, and at times it almost seems like they are marching in unison. Where are all these people going? To be doctors and retail clerks and civil servants, and associate publishers. But why are they going there? To earn money, to be sure, but I get the feeling something more is going on. Perhaps, together, we are building a city, helping to build a nation. Each of us is part of the system that creates a society, and while none of us can see the whole picture, as we walk together we can sense support from each other. Together we can dream of the future for those who will come after us, walking these same city streets. Maybe just walking together is enough to make us part of something bigger…

—Glenn Byer