Monday, April 10, 2006

Des ponders the deeper things

Ok, I promised a cheerier blog, so I hope this delivers. This is also a sad story, but it has a happy ending.

Every day on my way home from work, I wait in the exact same place for the train. There is a Vanilla Coke bottle on a ledge in the center of the tracks. Near the bottle is his friend the coffee cup. Every day while I wait, I look at the bottle behind me and I am reassured. I don't know why the Vanilla Coke bottle is reassuring and comforting to me, but it just is. It gives my life purpose.
It is a wonderful affirmation of life, and a great mystery all rolled into one. How did the Coke bottle get there? Why is it nearly full still, after having been there so many months? What of the coffee cup? Is that also full? Did it arrive at the same time as the bottle? Were there once 2 friends chatting, somehow in the middle of the electrified tracks, drinking their caffinated beverages? What caused the sudden departure of these friends? Why did they have to leave in such a rush that they both forgot their refreshing beverages? Do the friends ever return to this train station and see, as I do, the abandoned Vanilla Coke bottle and its friend the coffee cup? Does this sight make them sad, longing for times past? Or are they like me, relieved in the constant presence of the containers, being the only people that know how they got there?

Today there was an abnormal lot of people in the station, so I had to stand a few feet away from my regular spot. Out of habit I turned to look for my emotionally supportive Coke bottle, but Alas and Alack! It was not to be seen! In desperation I searched for the coffee cup. Gone too! My world crumbled. I knelt on the platform and wept. Passersby gave me fleeting glances, but none stopped to help. After some time had passed (I know not how much due to the excess of my misery) I raised my head to see a much emptier train station. I retook my normal habitat and gave one last momentary look behind me.
Lo and behold! The Vanilla coke bottle was there! And yes, 3 feet away from it, there was its friend the coffee cup! Oh rejoice and hurrah! Happy days once again stake a claim in my heart!

As I boarded the train home, I sent a silent salute to the noble Coke bottle. Thank you, o revered Vanilla Coke bottle! Thank you for always being there to look after me, even when I can't see you. Thank you for being the one thing that has any stability in this hurly-burly world of ours!
Just thank you.

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