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A View
The window covered one side of the room offering me a 180 deg view of the city. From where I stood I could see the tops
of many buildings shorter than mine. The roads and streets criss crossing each other appeared as lines now filled with a blur
of people and tiny toy like cars all rushing to get home. Down below was the park; 15 acres of trees and lawn appearing like
a patch of green. People walking, kids playing, dogs barking, couples on benches, the old men gathered for a last gossip of
the day, parents and children feeding ducks on the pond, all looked like tiny ants to me. From memory I could imagine the
last songs of the birds as they settled in their nests for a nights rest.
The setting sun coloured the sky in myriad shades of yellow, orange and pink, The river a shiny snake, reflected the hues
in all their splendour. Tiny toy ferry boats, full of office workers returning home after a day in the city, plied across
its banks. In my minds eye I saw their relief of being out in the open air after being cooped in the office all day. Soon
the night engulfed the city in its cloak, lights came up everywhere, street lights, bright flashing neon lights, lights from
apartment windows, all appearing as millions and millions of twinkling stars to me
Down below were people I couldn't see, people moving, eating, drinking walking, thinking, People who were, happy, joyful,
sad, hurting, sick, dying, people who were good, bad, students, teachers, clerks, managers, rich, poor, replete, starving.
I looked down upon this city of millions, from my isolated spot on the 75th floor and it occurred to me that when I was with
them, one of that milling crowd, in a train or bus, or parked besides in a traffic jam, in a hospital or a hotel or mall,
when I was one of this rushing throbbing mass of people I was as close to them as I was now from this height and distance.
Not only me but most of us in many ways are isolated from all those around us. We walk in a crowd but each one of us is often
an island. None of us are aware of the pain or sadness or the illness or bereavement or joy or happiness those around us might
be feeling. Moreover none of us wish to be, happy and secure in our own personal bubbles we rush through life often even unaware
of what is going on in the lives of those close to us, often even parents are totally unaware of the problems of their children
and children of their parents though all living in the same house, yet keeping their personal thoughts and feelings to themselves.
In some ways we are all viewing the world from the 75th floor.
Perhaps we are afraid of coming too close for comfort, afraid we may not be able to handle it or have we all just become
so selfish and self absorbed that we do not wish to see anything beyond ourselves, our desires our goals our happiness? Is
it not time we came down from the 75th floor and became part of the human race, reaching out to those we can help, offering
a ear , a shoulder, a smile, a word, changing some ones day for the better, helping who we can, leaving the cold isolation
of our personal bubbles and spreading a little warmth a little hope wherever we go.
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