Got on the subway this afternoon and stood near the door. As the train passed from the station platform into the tunnel, I noticed a tired-looking guy in a suit just staring out into the darkness. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed oblivious to his surroundings. Our eyes met briefly. Then he looked away.

As the lights from the next approaching station drowned out the darkness, I lost sight of him. Tokyo trains are always crowded.

I pulled out my iPhone and looked at my Twitter page, hoping to get it loaded before we entered the tube again where my internet connection would be disrupted. The doors closed as the last of the onrushing passengers squeezed in. Once again, into the tunnel.

I looked up and, even though there were some passengers between us, I could still see the tired man in the suit. He was now occupied with an iPhone as well. Popular these days, those handy little devices are. I noticed that he had lost that oblivious look and an intent look had come across his face.

But then, he suddenly put his gadget back in a bag sitting on the floor and went back to staring out of the train into the darkness. I thought I saw a look of disappointment before our eyes met again. Had he been waiting for a text message that didn’t come? Just a lost signal?…

Anyway, I noticed this time that his eyes were fixed on me. I tried to stare him down, unblinking, but he just did the same. Eventually, he turned his gaze away. Who knows?… Maybe he didn’t want others to think he was being vain.

And then, the lights from the next station platform erased the darkness outside the carriage. Again, I lost sight of him. Several passengers got off this time, including myself. As I headed toward the exit, I thought one last time about the tired-looking guy in the suit. I thought, He’s a lot like me, I guess.

And then I thought, I’ve got to get more sleep.

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