Now

It amazes me that everything can be happening all at once. Other people are existing and living and going, even if I can’t see them. The rest of the world is there, doing things, even if I’m not there to witness it. At this moment, people are standing in line at the grocery store, are watching a movie, are walking through the woods. And in other countries, people are sleeping and getting on the subway and walking past the Louvre without looking up. It's all happening.

Sometimes walking through a crowd of people, I ponder what all these other people are doing out in about at the same moment I am. Why are they here and not at home? When I’m on a road trip and see a lot of cars out and about on the highway, I think, “Now what are they doing? Where are they going? I mean, I am traveling to the Beach House for vacation, but where on earth could they be going?” Or if I have to drive around town really late at night, I think, “Well I have an excuse, I had to run to the store, but what ever are they doing out on the road at this moment? It’s so late!” In my tiny little brain, I guess I can’t comprehend that they too had to go to the store, or they fell asleep at their friend’s house but really need to go back home to sleep because they have to leave for work in the morning, or they just happened to see a really late movie. Maybe? Something like that? What are they doing?

I do like to think about the possibilities of what others could be doing. Especially famous people. Even though for me and you people like Reese Witherspoon and Adam Sandler only exist in movies and on Extra, they are living their lives as well. Maybe right at this very second Halle Berry’s baby is spitting up on her and she has to hand the baby off to her model boyfriend because she just needs a shower! Perhaps Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are lounging on the couch watching old episodes of Alias, because Jennifer wants Ben to at least watch the episode where she finally takes down ST6, even if he won't watch the whole series with her. Maybe Hayden Panettiere is getting into a car and she’s trying to pull the seatbelt across her but it has done that thing where it catches and it won’t let you pull it anymore, and it’s stuck, and why isn’t this working?!

Maybe at the moment I was writing this blog entry, you were brushing your teeth and thinking about what to wear to work tomorrow. Maybe you were trying to study but you kept getting distracted because your roommate was watching America’s Next Top Model. Maybe you were doing the dishes. Maybe you were having a late dinner at Taco Bell even though you’d rather be eating somewhere else but you’re there because you wanted to hang out with your friends and that’s the only place everyone could agree on. Maybe.

I am sitting here at my computer. I am a little bit tired. I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I am here. I am now.