All the You's of the World Unite

Do you ever turn around and think, what just happened to those three hours? Happens to me ALL THE TIME. But here I sit typing away at 2:00 am... and me with a 9 am meeting (in person, no less... not in my regular attire of bathrobe and slippers!) Why am I so addicted to sharing all of my little random musings with you guys? Because I know (well, I think) you're reading them; that's why. So, don't tell me if you're not.

"There is nothing more alone than being in a car at night in the rain. I was in the car and I was glad of it. Between one point on the map and the other point on the map, there was the being alone in the car in the rain. They say you are not you except in terms of relation to other people. If there weren't any other people, there wouldn't be any you because what you do, which is what you are, only has meaning in relation to other people. That is a very comforting thought when you are in the car in the rain at night alone, for then you aren't you, and not being you or anything, you can really lie back and get some rest. It is a vacation from being you. There is only the flow of the motor under your foot spinning that frail thread of sound out of its metal gut like a spider, that filament, that nexus, which isn't really there, between the you which you have just left in one place and the you which you will be when you get to the other place. You ought to invite those two you's to the same party, some time. Or you might have a family reunion for all the you's with barbecue under the trees. It would be amusing to know what they would say to each other."

I had a lot of travel time today. (The airports were quite messy with catch-up activity from yesterday's snowstorms.) And travel time for me generally means reading time. So, I picked up one of the books that I started a few months back and just couldn't get into. This time, I'm really appreciating the prose. (Actually, truth be told... the quote from above caught my attention before I put the book down the first time... and it's probably the reason I finally came back to finish it.) I wouldn't exactly say it "moves like an express train" (as the Yale Review did when it was originally published... back when the novel was $1.25... when my Mom bought it... when she lived in 719 White, wrote her name in her college reads, and was named Moore), but it has grabbed my attention again. What is this literature of which I speak? Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men. Odd choice... but worthwhile, I think. And amusing given the cab ride I had in State College today. (Yes, State College actually has cabs... really shoddy, scary ones driven by dirty old men... but C-COR has company vehicles I drive when I'm in town... and apparently, it's against company policy to leave one of those at the airport for me... while I'm ranting about that, it would cost a few dollars to leave the company car at the airport! and instead I pay $20 to take a cab to the hotel where the company car is parked for free... I just hope the hotel drop-off was on someone's way HOME so that I don't have to explain simple penny-pinching principles again tomorrow.) Anyway, the cab ride. My driver was really chatty (I seem to get a lot of those... I learned the life stories of cabbies in Phoenix and Amsterdam... am I just a good listener or what???). And this particular cabbie wanted to tell me about his views on life... you know, how our society is going down the toilet. He had particularly choice words to say about 1) politicians (oh, sir, did I tell you I'm a Poli Sci major AND currently enjoying All the King's Men?) and 2) companies not taking care of their employees (oh yeah, and I'm in HR and am tasked daily with figuring out how to appropriately communicate with employees so that they feel more involved and part of the company). I just found that amusing and thought I would share.

Anyway, so the quote... I just completely identify with that idea... that we are made up of all these "you's" - the you from the plane today that politely switched seats with the lady who had already assumed she could have yours & that you wouldn't mind sitting in the middle of a fully occupied row ... and the you from yesterday who could be found yelling obscenities at the television while watching your favorite team play and just knowing that if your parents heard you, they would blush with shame... and the you from the days of Ziggy who would actually join in the game instead of just watching from the easy chair... and the you who coordinated the "We Hate Valentine's Day Club" that went for ice cream sundaes at the Dairy House to celebrate not having significant others (but the same you who secretly enjoyed the hell out of receiving two different vases of flowers from secret admirer valentine's well-wishers). What would that barbecue be like?!?!