Bookmark #202

How was your day and did you break down again?

Did you see a little kid jumping in the park and start smiling but paused because the morbid realisation that he may not do it ever again in a few years suddenly engulf you? Where were you walking when you saw a car approaching and thought of a terrible day where a car approached just the same and you couldn’t move? How many cups of coffee did you need, how many did you have, and at what point did your anxiety get the better of you?

What were you reading when the morose thought of absolute hopelessness came over you and before you knew it nothing felt bright again? Did you pause by that fountain near the city centre and stretch your hand to feel the cold water springing out of it only to realise you couldn’t feel anything today? Did you see the puppy who looked at you with the largest eyes so you bent and called it over only to realise he didn’t have a leg as he stumbled towards you? Did it break your heart? Did you cry?

Were you at the supermarket today, surrounded by countless people in love with their hushed quarrels and annoying reactions, when you felt so very alone with your bags of groceries in your hand, like some lead character narrating their soliloquy in a play? Did you watch your generally peachy friend throw a fit because they were finally done with their shenanigans of sunshine and rainbows? Did tears build up in your eyes as you sat in a café waiting for a date who never arrived, never called or dropped a text, and left you on read?

Did you leave a tip anyway? Did you hug your friend? Did you help the lonely old lady with her shopping bags? Did you run up to the puppy to play with it? Did you jump in the fountain to finally feel how refreshingly cold the water was? Did you close your book to read a love poem instead and started smiling immediately? Did you spill that last cup of coffee in the sink to get a glass of water? Did you get out of that car’s way and smiled “oops” with your tongue out at the driver, chuckling? Did you walk up to the little kid and play ball with him, and got your knee bruised just like old times?

How was your day? Did you pull through?

I hope you did.

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