perhaps waiting for a friend
or maybe for a flight
and I watch the parade of people as they stream by
some determined
some clueless
large people
small people
sexy people
sexless people
some bold
some tentative
of every stripe and color
and of course I wonder
as everyone does
“Where are all of these people going”?
“And what do they do with their lives”?
But usually it’s just an idle thought
as I watch the waddles
and the tantrums
the dismissals
the bargaining
the tiny quick steps
the resignation
the threats
the long slow steps
the rewards
and the entreaties.
But every once in a while
rarely but occasionally
I see a person
and something about them makes me focus on them.
It may not be some special quality
and is usually just the opposite.
I see an ordinary unassuming person
leading an ordinary unexceptional life
and I think to myself
My God
This person has been on this earth for all these years
avoiding pain
making mistakes
making promises
hoarding
loving
squandering
being petty
being gracious
doing all the same things that I do
and I didn’t even know they were here.
I watch them
and can tell
that they see everything with respect to themselves.
They wonder
Am I in danger?
Will this help me?
Should I buy this?
How will I get there from here?
Me. Me. Me.
They are at the center of their worlds.
They think they’re somehow important
and yet I didn’t even know they existed until this moment.
So how important are they really?
If no one knows they’re here
how important could they really be?
If they are lucky
there are two or three people who care about them.
Others might claim to care
but you only get two or three, tops.
The sad truth is
these people I watch
don’t matter at all
despite their concern for themselves.
If they ceased to exist
or had never been born
everything would be just as fine
or not fine
depending on how you see things.
I know
that if they sat down
and noticed me
and reflected on me
they would decide
that I don’t matter either.
And there it is.
The world is teeming with people
who think only their concerns really matter.
Are they right?
Are they wrong?
Maybe both.
One thing for sure though.
These people I watch
I will never see again.
As I watch them bustle off
to nowhere
I fold my newspaper
put it under my arm
fold my glasses
and put them in my pocket
stand
and wander off
to get something to eat.