It had been such a spectacular morning that the juxtaposition was strong when I entered the gym locker room and saw her crying. I’d been in that headspace so many times, I immediately empathized and wanted to help. I didn’t want to intrude, but asked her “Are you okay?” We briefly met each other’s eyes in some sort of solidarity. She nodded, attempted a smile, but then hurried out. Still, I got a feeling from her that it had helped in some small way. I never saw her again, and could only hope that she, too, had felt the connection.
Rachel Lynn is a tech worker and singer/songwriter living in Austin, Texas. Find Rachel at rachellynn1.bandcamp.com and on Facebook at rachellynnmusicpage.