elevator stories
part 1
i recently moved into an apartment building. something that ive never done before! my living situation has always been a share house moemnt. but honestly, i kinda love it.
im in one of those boujee ones where i get an elevator up to my oh so cushy 11th floor. often when i get into these elavators, there will (obviously) be other people in there too. most of them are normal: the non-talkative, mild mannered type, who would hold the door for you if they saw you running. a lot of them have dogs too, which i absolutely love to be the boldest in the (elevator) room and ask to pat them. you definitely get a few freaks as well, nothing crazy psychotic. no one screaming at the top of their lungs or wreaking havoc in the lobby. which im fortunate for.
but i wanted to talk about the people that ive met in these elevators, and how theyve left their mark on me. as i find it such an interesting concept being in this elevator. its like a train, obviously it has stops that people get off at, but at least you have the luxury of sitting seperately on the train, instead youre packed in like sardines, awkwardly trying not to bump into the person standing right next to you.
why is it always the most crowded elevators where i get the strangest people. one time, i was in the elevator with one guy and a couple. there are 14 floors in my building and im on the 11th, so odds are good that the majority of people will get off before me. something im only thinking about when ive had the longest day at work and i just want to get into my apartment asap. but anyways, both parties clicked levels below me. the one guy turns to me and says in a light-hearted tone “must feel pretty good being above the other people in the elevator”. genuinely HOW is someone supposed to react to that statement. because OBVIOUSLY (even w my inflated ego) im not placing myself above others just because im on a different floor. we’re probably all paying the same rent, and at the end of the day, who even CARES. i think i jokingly brush it off, but then he starts going on asking if i work out and that i look jacked? he started feeling my arms and the other couple in the elevator we’re giving me strange glances. thankfully, he was the first one to get off, and ive never seen him since.
i love people that have the courage to talk about their passions to other people in an open setting. i remember i had just bought my first board game1. i had it tucked under my arm, still in its plastic packaging. the guy in the elevator asked if i had played it before. to which i responded i hadn’t. we ended up talking for the best of 10 minutes about tips and tricks and strategies relating to the game. clearly he was a huge nerd about it, and its not too often you find little cliques in your own special interests. the game ended up being hilarious though, my friends and i spent 3 hours learning the rules, 2 hours playing it, and we didnt even finish a game. one of the best afternoons id had in a long time.
the hallway from the front door to the elevator is a long one, and i often find myself youthmaxxing and walkmogging2 the older generations in said hallway. but i found myself walking up to this elderly asian woman the other day, she was lugging boxes of cardboard, nothing crazy, but she was clearly struggling. i offered a hand and she happily agreed. we began chatting and i had asked her why she was hauling all this crap up to her apartment. to which she replied that her husband and died a few weeks ago from cancer. it came out of nowhere and took him quite quickly, she mentioned that he had always been an active man, but the condition took him out almost immediately. she continued saying that she could no longer afford to live in the apartment by herself, and that she was downsizing. hence why she had so many moving boxes. i offered to take them directly to her apartment and help her back, but she politely declined. shes probably moved out by now, but i hope shes alright.
now, to save the best for last, theres a lady that lives on my level. for the life of me, i can never remember her name. she lives w her husband and her cute little dog. i find that i run into her more often than anyone, and everytime i pass her, we always stop for a little chat. she’s always so positive, and gets so immensely happy when i give her a hug. whenever i meet older people, i always try to be a little more conservative w what i say, ya know, just to be a little more respectful and do some good PR for my fellow zoomers. but i remember one time we were chatting shit3 about our useless building manager, i expected her to be very neutral about him when i told her that id accidentally parked in the wrong car spot out the back, but her only reply back was “god hes a miserable git isnt he? fuck him i say”. HAHAHA i love when older people swear, genuinely makes my day. i know she likes me too because when my mum came to stay one time, the woman had stopped my mum in the corridor and went on a 15 minute tangent about how lovely and respectful i am. shes a sweetheart.
not sure how to sum this up really. i think its important that we speak more to others we typically wouldnt. see the best in people, even when the world gives you every reason not to.
root: a game of woodland might and right!! for all my boardgame nerds, this should be a familiar one!! i played it with two of my friends. one of them being a seasoned boardgamer, and the other being one of the most intelligent individuals ive ever met (currently being a senior advisor to a member of our parliament).
just trying to appeal to a different audience, please dont click off
trash-talking, for my fellow americans.