My Jehovah's Witness Subway Friend

EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING during my work week, there is a man at the subway station - without fail. Usually he is alone, sometimes he has friends. I won't lie, at first I have thought of him as some annoying Bible Thumper.  However, as time has passed, his presence has assured me that all is right with the world. As sure as the Empire State Building stands in the distance, or Lindsay Lohan making another  appearance in court, this man and his pamphlets make me feel good - give me some certainty about the world.

Some mornings I have simply returned his smile with a head nod. Some days he does not see me as he tends to his subway congregation - he is quite popular it seems. I know that he's a Jehovah's Witness because of the literature I see him holding and he seems nice enough, but we have never spoken. I have no time for subway prophets as we have a lot of those in New York City. Again, nice enough man, but I have no time - even if you appear to be nice. 

But this all changed when I saw him today - on a weekend - outside of the subway. I was beginning to think he had a room somewhere within the station and that he was being punished for life by never being allowed to leave.  He got out of a car and stepped directly in front of me. I stopped, somewhat surprised. "Hello," he said. I replied with a "Good Morning." I realized it was actually 3 o'clock in the afternoon and corrected my statement. I was flustered. I suddenly felt bad because of the randomness of my greetings to this man when I see him everyday. I also felt like I was in for a sermon that I had avoided for months. 

"Will I see you tomorrow morning?" he asked. I responded that he would, smiled, and walked on by. As I continued my walk home I wondered to myself what had happened? Had the wrapping paper I was holding in my hand brought out the holiday spirit within me? Had too much Christmas cheer crawled up my butt and died? I am a good New Yorker and therefore do not talk to strangers, I am leery of street folks and street prophets - even if you are an impeccable dressed and well spoken street prophet like this man. When I have broken these rules unfortunate things have happened to me. I mean in my head it's just too cold to be outside preaching, I am just saying.

So tomorrow morning I will be speaking with my friend. It would be rude to not do so at this point, right? Also, isn't it just a little creepy that he knows my schedule? I guess not. I would just think so many people pass him by in the morning - why would he know me? I expect to see him in the mornings after all - so I suppose it isn't weird.

Oh, I know everyone is over the world is ending thing now, but that's how I OFFICIALLY knew everything would be fine on the 21st - if he was in the subway station. If the Jehovah is in the station - all is right with the world. Yep, that's where I placed my bets. Of course, I was too hung over to walk to work and had to take a cab, so at 8:30am on Friday morning there still was a shred of doubt we'd make it to the 22nd.

If tomorrow's post is about my conversion to being a witness - you will all know why.