Every now and then I come out from behind my Inkwell cloak and comment as myself. It is enthusiasm, sheer pleasure with a story, that drives me to express my opinion.

This story is so good. It's not good merely because the words run together smoothly. It's not good merely because you have a nice arc, and you use the prompt well. It's good because its message transcends the experience of the protagonist.

There is so much powerful symbolism here. First of all the subway, used many times in stories to suggest a journey through life, a mission. So you have that in place. Then there is the distraction of the character, so caught up in the minutia of making her way that she loses sight of her destination, of the way home. Then the realization, the epiphany. The letting go, evident in the casual rider, that shakes her into a realization of her own preoccupation with trivia.

I progressed further in the wrong direction

Perfect. By letting go of where she was intent on going, she was able to arrive at the right place.

I love good writing. I love writing that means more than telling an entertaining story, a story that distracts us from our daily routine. I love a story that says something worthy hearing. Thank you for that.

Great job.