Face Train - no Face Book

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Look! There goes FaceTrain rushing by, with people waving, pictures against the window, people going to and from places, banners flying.  We smile or wave back and off they go.  Some are the familiar faces of family and friends, others are unfamiliar or very strange.  All goes by with a silent roar.

FaceTrain

Hardly a connection - more like being left behind.

Wait, it seems like there is a Depot where I can see more personal effects:  a little bio, other traces, but no one is ever there.  At the Depot, I can even find a Timeline of places someone has been to, even some anecdotes, like a travel log.  The train roars on.

I look to the rule book: how to make a connection, or what used to be called a relationship.  Can I get beyond a smile, a wave, a yell?  The rules tell me I can block out, I can follow, and even leave an address for the passengers to look up.  And many more clunky rules about how the train operates - switches, stops, transfers, seating tickets - you know, rules of the road. But where do you meet? The train roars on.

How do I get their attention? I want them to read a book I wrote. I find I need all sorts of pictures, placards, bumper stickers, slogans, billboards, and lures of all kinds, so that I can get their attention as they pass by. Then, if I get "in their face" often enough, some may buy it from the vendor's cart on the train.  Maybe.  The train roars on.

Will we have a conversation?  It's mostly a roll of the dice and life opportunities.  Maybe if I am there when the train stops, or they are there where I stop. It will take a lot to get them off the train.  The train roars on.

Meanwhile, I'll just stumble on besides the tracks.

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.