Tube connection

A couple of days ago I was travelling in the London Tube when it was announced that there was a significant signal failure at Mansion House. Instead of my usual 1h 20min journey, it took me 2.5 hours to get to the university. My main point is what I realised somewhere around Victoria station (see below after the introduction :)).

The carriage was crowded but I had a seat as I get on the train at Wimbledon (which is on of the ends of the District line), never get on cars closest to the station entrance, and I don't take trains where I would need to change a Earl's court (which would kind of make sure I don't get a seat). So I was sitting there and station by station, more people came in. I didn't care much but I sometimes have thoughts like "why do so many people need to use the tube at the same time?" and "if they step on my shoes once again I will kick them in the ankle!", I guess many other people also have these feelings (just like last week when some drunkard started shouting he was a suiside bomber). I usually watch other people though this is very uncommon in the London underground trains, maybe that's why I dare looking at people and try to categorise them into various categories if I have nothing to read.

So around Victoria station, one of the passengers squatted down showing clear signs of getting unwell because of no air, hot temperature, crowd and who knows what else. I wasn't the closest to her so someone next to me offered a seat immediately where she got better after a couple of minutes shaking and heavy breathing. And this was the point I realized that I was travelling with other people. Before the incident, everyone there was an object. I categorised them into various object categories such as where they might be from, what their jobs might be, what taste they have based on their cloths, who in the carriage looks best, etc. I could do this freely, I could have even stared at anyone until they get off if I wished so (sometimes I do that just until someone realises their being categorised) because there were no consequences, I'd never see them again. Or even if I do so, I won't remember given that my face memory is pretty poor. I think it was an important (re)discovery that we should consider others and not always just travel like cows in the train carriage (someone actually started mooing once in a crowded car).

What does it have to do with aikido? I think it has much to do with it: if you go to a training and you just use others as objects to train yourself, that's really not what you are supposed to do. If there is connection between training partners, everything becomes easier and more enjoyable. Maybe this connection is also one of the reasons for us being told to smile while executing a technique. A smile you makes more relaxed, transform objects into partners. I also like connection-improving exercises and games a lot, they are also fun, especially in the children's class.