Engaging

Today I took BART to the East Bay for the first time ever. On the ride over, I sat in the corner of the car, with a good view of the back end and its inhabitants. I pulled out my library copy of The Heart Sutra and a notebook to take notes.
Looking around, I spied a tall white guy in glasses, funky-soled shoes and overcoat on this lovely June day sitting next to the door. I couldn't help but notice that he too had a notebook out, probably because he was excitedly reading aloud from it. Soon he was discussing Zen and the nature of reality with a rather sane-looking man nearby. I overheard bits and pieces, including the second gentleman's declaration that he was a Taoist.
After the tall fellow lept off the train in downtown Oakland, another passenger commended the Taoist on his interaction with the Zenster. "Sometimes people just need to be engaged," he said.