Jujubes

It is true of even the best of us that if an observer can catch us boarding a train at a way station; if he will mark our faces, stripped by anxiety of their self-possession; if he will appraise our luggage, our clothing, and look out of the window to see who has driven us to the station; if he will listen to the harsh or tender things we say if we are with our families, or notice the way we put our suitcase onto the rack, check the position of our wallet, our key ring, and wipe the sweat off the back of our necks; if he can judge sensibly the self-importance, diffidence or sadness with which we settle ourselves, he will be given a broader view of our lives than most of us would intend.

—John Cheever, “The Summer Farmer”, Collected Stories and Other Writings, The Library of America, 2009, p. 108. (via msodradek)

(via crashinglybeautiful)