contemplation

I just went running- I don't know why I talk myself out of it when walking, running, jogging, hiking, being outside always makes me feel 27x's better. Running countless squares around and around the path in Russell Square affirmed that I have found the talent of invisibility. Everyone's eyes constantly searching ahead, looking straight through you into the distance. It was nice to people watch though and contemplate; it's mind blowing that everyone has such unique, individualized personalities, struggles, situations, and realities. Then I thought about how many specific people I took notice of, as well as those that I glossed over and never truly saw, and how life is constantly that to different degrees. I wondered about stories..an old man in a suit with glasses sitting at one end of a bench, and a young girl with long, dark hair sitting at the other end. Her eyes are engulfed with over sized sunglasses although it's not particularly sunny, her arms are crossed, and they don't speak at all. They don't look related but just sit there, neither taking notice of the other. An old woman bending over to offer an acorn to a slow-gaited, trusting squirrel. A guy running the opposite direction, methodically lapping me, never wavering with his speed. An asian woman sitting alone with a pink balloon and three bouquets of flowers. A thin twenty-something sitting alone, his eyes closed, meditating beside his discarded bike, forgotten for the moment. He seems peaceful, and sits like that for at least 40 minutes. On my last lap, his eyes are open and he's smoking.