What a Depressing World

Today I was walking to work and was behind this man who was talking to himself. There were two dogs ahead on the sidewalk, one very large and one tiny prissy dog who were playfully sniffing and chasing each other. The man was just talking to himself about how cute they were and how the little one better watch out. He seemed so carefree and happy, albeit a little insane.

Then at the crosswalk a block up I saw a homeless man struggling to push his cart. Saw a man with a cup of take out coffee rubbing his eyes. Saw a dog with its tail between its legs. Then on my metro ride back home tonight I saw a man on the train crying as if he just lost someone he cared about. Then there are all these hidden emotions that people carry around with them all day that can’t be detected by nosy strangers like me.

Think about all the events going on in our lives and then multiply that by six billion (or more if you count what dogs feel like the one with the tail between its legs this morning). Think about all the sadness, pain, heartache, and struggles people you encounter on your commute experience. It’s a really depressing world if you look at it that way. So I am glad that I walked behind the man talking to himself about the two dogs this morning…he seemed to be experiencing nothing but joy. I wonder how many people like him there are.