On Train Thinking
This is something that is hanging about in my mind for quite a while, It’s a strange feeling I might say. For It’s not like a mental state that floods your system. like an emotion, you could say? It came first to me after some months traveling with a train which I needed to ride up and down two cities for atleast two hours. Especially In the early morning one would feel at first tired and perhaps a little bit of agitated because of the circumstances. But after some time when I rode the train, with it’s almost silent cabins and empty chairs there was atleast some time to read. I always wondered why the best time to read a book was on a train. Perhaps it was due to the motion that makes one more prone to stimulli? I simply do not know. However, at somepoint of this journey the train always crosses a river bridge before reaching your destination station. Every train journey needs a river. This phenomenon however, which I call “Train-thinking” Is connected to a state of mind before arriving to this said station and goes like this: Thought A that was concieved or read during the train ride connects to Thought B that was not present before to form Thought C, that can be intepretated as a revelation to Thought B again. If you dont understand, I completly agree with you.. perhaps an example might be of use.
Some months ago I was reading about a potential paper that I wanted to present at a meeting. Since Philosophy wasn’t that prominently discussed. I came about a article named Do we need mycophilosophy? It was not about the content of the paper, but the name that struck me the most. For when I arrived at the station I was struck by a thought of an idea for a story which I did not exspect was lingering in my head. It was after writing the basic idea of the story that it struck me why I wanted to search Do we need mycophilosophy? to be able to connect my own thoughts that were just lingering around? Perhaps it is still not clear to me.
In J.D Salingers book Catcher in the Rye the protagonist Holden Caulfeld is also unhappy about his current life, finding solace and perhaps some irony in human behavior, finding it all naseauting. A memorable moment for Holden was when he was talking to his old teacher about his current disinterest in life and people ‘‘This fall I think your riding for, its a special kind of fall’’ with ‘‘The man falling [not] permitted to feel or hear himself hit rock bottom’’. He goes on eventually stating that ‘‘Many, many men have just been troubled morally and spiritually as your are right know’’ but luckily those men have kept record of their sorrow and experience to be giving to someone else that is heading to this fall.’’ One must have and search actively for the “right size of mind’’ as the old teacher states to Holden, implying that it is easier to let go of have knowledge that you cannot internalize then to hold on to it. ‘‘They tend to express themselves more clearly, and they… follow their thoughts through to the end.’’
Perhaps in the end I just want to find my own size of mind. And its Train-thinking that might help achieve it, albeit it piece to piece. In the end every train journey needs a river.
