It was a good day, all things considered.
*****
People don't think enough about everything. Truly: about everything. So much is taken for granted, from causality to gravity to other people. The former two are important parts of human life - without them, humanity wouldn't be able to function (though for different reasons). The latter is, methinks, important to give some thought to occasionally.
I went driving today, which means that I saw people outside of my own house. How easy is it to just assume they exist? I can, for practical purposes, assume I exist and assume that those I interact with on a more-than-superficial level exist. But people in general - from Man Who Was Sitting in the White Van Watching Me When I Got Out of the Taurus to Bitchy Woman Who Passed Me on the Raised Median to Interesting Girl Who Was Beside Me at the Light - their existence is taken for granted far too often. It's a humbling thought to realize that they all have their own practical lives, filled with their own small and not-so-small problems, their own slightly-tilted, wonderfully complex existences. I have my stories, they have theirs. The two do not now, and may never, intersect, but it's worthwhile to consider theirs. And who knows?
Maybe someday the twain will meet.

Thursday, May 29th, 2003
A Story far too lacking in subtlety to be an Allegory or a Fable
Once there was an elephant. This elephant prided himself on his memory; he could recall events reaching back years into his past. In this way he retained knowledge of slights large and small, years after they had occurred. Rather than move on, the elephant clutched those slights and used them to form grudges. However, the elephant could be so jovial and pleasant that few realized the extent of his grudge-holding.
In the same time there was a dormouse. This mouse had a fairly shoddy memory - he was absent-minded and liable to, without harmful intent, forget things of great and small import. The mouse knew this was a failing, and was always sorry for his transgressions, but invariably would forget future events. However, the mouse's memory enabled him to easily move beyond people's faults and see others in a positive light despite their past failings.
The elephant lived a miserable life, unable to see past his grudges and trust anybody. The mouse lived a relatively happy life, for though he erred he nonetheless worked to better himself, and saw the good in others.
*****
When someone turns to you and says, "I really should kill you someday," you shouldn't have to worry and wonder if he was joking.
*****
The song of the day is either transparently the Smashing Pumpkins' "Zero" or only-translucently Tenacious D's "Cosmic Shame."

When I walked into the classroom, everyone looked at me oddly, and I looked, surprised, back at them.
"You've got a huge tusk growing out of the left side of your mouth," one kid said.
"Uhh fuh huhh ahh ooh uuhooh," I responded wittily.
Which goes to prove that tusks do, indeed, interfere with speech.
*****
OK Computer was Radiohead's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Think about it.
Granted, Thom Yorke hasn't gone and died yet. Or so we think.
*****
The word of the day is Entrophy. Does it make the world go 'round? I'm not quite sure, but it's kept me spinning these past hours.
The song of the day is Everything in Its Right Place. Is it really? I doubt it, but it's moreso now than it has been for, O, a week.
The emotion of the day is complacency, sunshine, and lollipops.
*****
The play of the day is Euripedes' "Medea." Read it. You'll only need half an hour. And it's worth a dozen times that time, I swear.

*****
Weathered and wellworn
Motionless the pebble sits
Gravestone to the ant