"We all have a purpose here. It's up to us to discover what it is."
I leaned back to catch more of the conversation. The somber cafe music gave their subject a serious tone, like they were discussing the fate of the world.
"There are a lot of people in the world," said a younger voice. "How can they all have a purpose?"
"You ever wonder about those missed chances?"
I scratched my chin. "What do you mean? Like Missed Connections on Craigslist?"
"No, no," Tim shook his head. "I mean, like, you meet someone briefly, but you don't really follow through. What if that person was The One for you? And now you lost your chance?"
Slam! Here that? That's your Window of Opportunity slamming shut.
These windows aren't open for long. Some shut sooner than others. But they all slam shut sometime. The trick is getting through it before it closes.
"Why do so many girls go for assholes?" Ken asked.
I shrugged and took a swig of beer. "Maybe it's not as simple as that."
"Huh?" Ken shifted in his seat. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe those girls don't think those guys are assholes."
I knew it was wrong to throw the rock. Even if the building seemed abandoned. But, before my friends could react, I threw it.
The alarms sounded instantaneously. We hopped on our bikes and raced away. A few minutes later, a helicopter appeared overhead. We scrambled under some trees and watched it circle the building.
"Kim is a total bitch."
Lisa looked shocked. "What? Why?"
"Because," I paused and cleared my throat, "she's annoying, spoiled, self-centered, manipulative, condescending, air-headed, and, well, a total bitch."
We deserve our fate. It's our collective fault that we've created so much pollution.
Call me a pessimist, but I don't see much hope in our world's corporations and governments. I don't believe they'll take enough significant action in time to make a difference. It would take a complete societal overhaul to save us now.
Here's what all you ladies have been waiting for: the innermost workings of the male mind. All the deepest, darkest, dankest secrets that no guy ever wanted you to know.
"You know the saying, 'Nice guys finish last'? Well, that's bullshit. I'll tell you who finishes last: passive guys."
Ken's shoulders sagged. His eyes drifted to the suds in his beer. "I don't get it. How's that different?"
"Damn, I can't remember what he said, but I remember it was something important."
Laura gave me the Raised Eyebrow. "You can't remember? That was like, only ten minutes ago!"
I sighed. "I know, I know…"
Weekly random rambles, musings & writings of Mike Lee in San Francisco, CA