Trains of thought.

I’m on a train between Thetford and Norwich. I’ve been to Edinburgh in Substack business and that’s a story in itself, but while it’s fresh in my mind I should tell you about my encounter with J-, the genial fellow who I sat with from York until he alighted at Thetford moments ago.

I enjoy talking to people I’ve never met and so it was with J-; but it’s the way the conversation developed that makes it worth reporting to you, because there’s something about it that feels so right, in a world where many of my interactions are default transactional (e.g I’m selling something to you or you to me - whether it’s a thing or an argument).

J- was in my assigned seat when I boarded the train but it was no problem for either of us. We each shuffled into acceptable seats and chatted amiably about our oversize laptops, which we each slapped down in some form of symbolic gesture of intention to work.

J- mentioned something about Thetford - I replied with what turned out to be very thin knowledge of…