Wonders of the World When Alone

When you're alone, surrounded by people and objects moving like at a store, at a bus stop, or even in your car, or simply walking on the street one evening back home, don't you have those few minutes where your mind goes somewhere downright odd? You start to question the lives of those around you and how they translate or connect to your life; you start to question your own decisions. I have been there quite a few times for moments like this and question if others do too. Therefore, here are a few examples I've been through.

( pictures for a visual context all via Pinterest )

when you're sitting on the train

From the moment you choose your seat on the train, a lot starts to slowly happen that you may be tempted to miss. As you get to each stop, many people start to get on, and off the train, and you start to surround yourself with them. For example, you are in your own world listening to music but then start to notice people individually and wonder -- you first look at the ground and notice their shoes, and then you look up and see their faces. Some are looking at their phones; some are reading a book or a magazine. You make an observation and see differences between the blonde-haired girl wearing dark green Converse shoes with an iced coffee drink in her hand while holding her book bag compared to the guy sitting next to her who seems pretty older, wearing a dark blue suit and carrying a briefcase with a hot coffee on hand too -- looking side to side you think about how many different people are wearing different clothes, all of them being different ages, yet we're all on the same train is your final thought as you go on your phone to change the next song.

sitting in your car alone during traffic

You just finished an exam at school, late evening, and you're ready to drive back home. As you get on the highway, traffic starts piling up, and that's when the wonders start to happen since you’re not the only one in a bubble at this very moment -- you have your music blasting in the car, you tend to wonder what kind of music those around you are listening to too ....maybe it’s not even music, it’s a podcast or perhaps they’re in their car with complete silence. So then you look to your right and see the next driver banging and shaking their head. It must be rocking to some tunes, right? You turn to your left and see the other driver's eyes fully focused straight ahead at the road, sitting still. That is an interesting strategy. -- you can't look at those in the back or the front of your car, but you tend to realize there could be another driver accompanied by someone else, their families, or someone else. So then, lastly, you ponder with that thought that everyone who is stuck in traffic at that very moment has their own life. They're either running away, or there are many around you in their cars going in the same direction yet with a different destination.

waiting for the bus at the bus stop on a gloomy day

You are currently at the bus stop, aware that your bus comes in 7 minutes. During this time alone, you start questioning and observing -- you start to see the different types of cars on the road go back and forth in directions while counting down the number of seconds that pass by when switching traffic lights. While sitting on the bench, on your left side, you hear birds chirping and wonder where they are, then on your right, you hear more sound and start to look up to find those birds on the branches... but can't seem to see them fully. After you see others approaching the bus stop, an older lady sits beside you on the bench, while two other men stand by the sign. This is the moment where you wonder if they are going to work, back home, to someone's house, to a store or restaurant. Could they be running late, or have they made it on time for this particular bus? -- lastly, your bus gets here and they all, including yourself, get into line to go inside. how you could have thought about that in only seven minutes? were they thinking the same?

when you’re at a cafe studying alone

It's exam week, and because you don't want to make the trip to get on campus on a Saturday morning, you decide to go to a cafe and study for a few hours. You order an iced latte with a croissant on the side. As you sit down and get your studying station ready, more people walk in the door; some sit down, and others have a quick grab-and-go. Your computer is open, and after a while, you look up and start wondering what the rest of the crowd is doing here -- you notice the guy wearing a school crewneck and sweats on with his journal and laptop open, looking really attentive to his work, could he possibly be studying just like you are? Then, your eyes move to the girl next to him. You observe that she has a nice outfit, neutral colors, sunglasses, a cute little bag next to her, and her table looks aesthetically pleasing. So, could it be that she is here to create content/promote? You ponder around the cafe and see how others have company. You see a couple trying each other's drink, a mom sharing donuts with her kids, and a couple of businessmen just on the go with their large coffee. -- As you look down at your laptop and see that a lot of time has passed, you get ready to leave. With those thoughts in mind, you lastly start to think, could they all be here next Saturday too? Was this a spontaneous change to their schedule? You walk out and realize you'll never see the same crowd again.

When alone in these circumstances and having a few minutes to see what is around you, what events, and what sort of people are around you, you start to notice things you haven't before. Your thoughts become broader to the point where you wonder if other people are going through the same thing. As you, the readers, do y'all go through the same? Maybe something completely different? Stop wherever you are for a moment and look around; you might miss it. (it = anything and everything)

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