Long Island Rail Road Cruise Ship Love Story

People who use Twitter sometimes relay events that are unfolding in front of them via tweets -- like the airplane breakup/hookup story that went viral, which is almost identical to one I witnessed and told via texts years ago.  I don't tweet.  But I do frequently relay stories via texts.  The other night was one of my favorite stories -- it had romance, conflict, friendship, fate and/or luck, the bringing together of strangers to form unlikely bonds, however brief, that might have lasting effects... and an unresolved ending that I can only hope will lead to a happily ever after.  My last blog post was a happy beginning story.  This is a slice-of-the-middle story.  By the end of this slice of the story, the entire train car was engaged in this chapter of this girl's life.  So here's the Long Island Rail Road Cruise Ship Love Story from the other night, as told in text messages:


Awesome story unfolding on LIRR.

Big black lady (think Queen Latifah crossed with Estelle Getty on Golden Girls.  I'm going to call her Lula), giving advice to edgy cool 20-somethings: "Unless there's a ring on it honey, what's wrong with cheating?  You're young people."

Girl: "I'm a romantic."
Lula: "Get over it, honey."

Girl and her male friend were talking very loudly (but not angry or drunk) about this guy she randomly ran into tonight with whom she fell in love when she was 17 on a cruise ship.  They went their separate ways after the cruise ended, she's now 22 and has been with her boyfriend for 3 years, her male friend thinks her boyfriend's all wrong for her and puts her down, and then tonight at a bar she and her male friend ran into... the guy from the cruise ship!  Turns out he just moved here.  Sparks flew at the bar tonight, and the friend wants her to leave her bf for this guy.  "Lula," who's sitting across the aisle, said something when she overheard them talking, apologized, and then Girl said, "No, this is great.  I need some feminine perspective.  Give me female advice," and told her (and the entire train car) the story.

Lula, after Girl said she thinks she should try to make things work with her current bf: "Think like a man.  You're not married, you don't have kids.  Save your energy."

Male Friend and Lula want her to dump her bf.  A couple random people on train have voiced their agreement.

The Girl's all "It's a three year relationship; it's kinda f----d up to just say, 'See ya!' "

Male Friend says the instant the Cruise Guy walked into the bar and he saw the way they looked at each other he knew they were meant to be together.

It's awesome because the two friends are super cool and trendy and edgy and are totally welcoming a random person's life advice.

Oooohh BF always judges her clothes when they go out.  She should totally dump him.

Male Friend says Cruise Guy is so genuinely nice and super hot and is crazy about her and it's fate and they're meant to be together.  And if she's supposed to be with Jim (her current bf) and dumps him for Cruise Guy, then eventually she'll wind up back with Jim.  But she's not supposed to be with Jim.  She's supposed to be with cruise guy.  Duh.

I don't want to get off the train until I know her decision!!!!!

Male Friend: "The way he looked at her..... ohhhh.  If someone looked at me like that... Ohh, no one's ever looked at me like that."

Lula has to get off at my stop, too, and asked, "Will someone please tell her?!  I can't give my normal speech!" (Wait, what does that mean?  Does this happen to her a lot?  Does she so regularly dispense relationship advice to 22-year-olds on the train that she has a "normal speech" made up just for that purpose?  I want to know more.  Maybe it's Lula who's actually the main character in this story....)

Girl thanked her for her advice.  Other people getting off are telling Girl she's supposed to be with Cruise Guy.

And that concludes my viewing of this Hallmark-movie-destined story.  I hope Girl winds up with Cruise Guy!!!