lone antelope

I attended a set of crowded public schools. not as crowded as some, I'm sure, but crowded enough for me. I learned quick that walking through crowds is best done alone. if you've got your best friend talking to you as you fight for space next to your locker, you just might be late to your next class. if you've got your best friend and your other best friend trailing along behind you on your way to lunch, all the good seats next to the windows will be taken.

is my life more or less crowded today than it was back then?

maybe I was born just a little bit too philosophical for my own good, but even back then it struck me as rather symbolic:  all those hallways full of teenagers, all the impatient waiting for them to shuffle out of your way. alone, you can make it through whichever way you want. as soon as you become part of a group, you are no longer just navigating the crowd, you are inescapably a part of that crowd. and two crowds in one hallway just doesn't make anyone's life any easier.

but even all alone, you won't be able to avoid the crowd. they are the ocean. you are the island.