The Train Tracks

Growing up in a small house beside the railroad, a young boy learns to measure time by the passing trains rather than by clocks. Each evening, as darkness settles and the world quiets, the distant rumble and steady rhythm of metal on rails becomes a nightly ritual. While others might hear noise, the boy hears comfort—a promise that life keeps moving, that he is not alone in the quiet. As he ages, the trains come to represent constancy amid change, carrying away worries and lulling him into rest. Long after childhood, the memory of those nighttime sounds remains, reminding him how something ordinary once taught him peace, resilience, and the quiet beauty of listening.