Yoana Ivanova
One of the reasons I like public transport is the opportunity to people-watch: the act of observing the others around me in an attempt to glimpse into their world. Early in the morning I have the chance to witness people being their most honest selves. Some barely keep their eyes open, others are silently staring through the window, some have their faces glued to their phones scrolling through the Facebook wall, zombified; others are having their ‘important talks’ so loud that all of us became part them, voluntarily or not.
But if I’m lucky enough, the miracle happens –
the doors open and She enters the tram.
Instinctively and completely imperceptibly I straighten up because I feel Her peculiar presence. In the next few minutes She fills my whole being with inspiration and power enough that I feel them throughout the entire day. Her age is irrelevant, She is purposeful, confident and calm. All of Her gestures are precise and gracious at the same time. She is wearing the perfect make-up to emphasise Her natural beauty, Her hair looks as if She has just left the salon, and while I struggle to balance on my comfy flat shoes, She doesn’t even flinch in Her high heels. At this very moment She is a queen.
I figure out I know nothing about Her – does She have a family and kids She cares for, is She a successful professional, what are Her goals, does something bother Her? Nonetheless, Her very presence breathes out respect.
I have met Her many times and almost every time She has a different face, but the feeling she leaves me with – always the same.
She is the collective image of a few women
that I have seen in the public transport – different, but all of them united by an innate elegance that attracts me and that I can always spot in the crowd.
When our eyes meet She greets me with a warm smile. As if we are sending each other a secret signal that reads: “I am here if you need me”. Come to think of it, isn’t this the most important thing – knowing that out there are women who will lend you a hand, who will be there for you in good and bad, and who will support you in your success. The women that are not afraid to be strong in their tenderness, inspiring all around them.
