---
title: 'Train of Thought'
date: '2012-08-22T09:04:11-04:00'
permalink: /train-of-thought/
tags:
    - pondering
    - writing
---

The funniest part of yesterday’s post — at least it’s funny to me — is how it got written: on my iPhone, on the subway. I remembered yesterday that, back when I started posting here semi-regularly again in the early summer, I began by jotting down some thoughts in this way, often standing with one elbow hooked around a pole, [trying to keep my balance](/a-constant-process-of-not-falling/). I’d finish the posts started this way once I got in front of my computer. So I thought I’d try it out again, and [yesterday’s post](/last-season-on-planned-obsolescence/) was the result.

Could my train of thought literally be a train of thought?

It’s more likely that these bursts of productivity on the train have to do with getting myself to start thinking before I get to my computer — in an environment with no network connectivity, where external circumstances often make it a good idea to pull inward and divert your attention from your surroundings.

I usually manage that by listening to French podcasts, which require a certain kind of concentration, but writing — perhaps a couple of quick paragraphs during the trip downtown — works even better, not least for helping to train my focus where I need it before I get to the office.

It’s easier to stay focused once I get there if I arrive with an idea already clearly in mind — one of those lessons that I think I need to relearn often.