A man sits on a crowded bus. He is on his way home from work after a busy day. He's hungry and tired and he just wants to go home. He doesn't pay any attention to the people around him. His body sways effortless with the ebb and flow of the bus' motion. The bus comes to a stop and an elderly lady makes her way on the bus. There is no place for her to sit. And though the man has been lost in the back of his mind, he suddenly rises and offers his seat to the lady. She smiles and sits down. The man spends the rest of his trip holding onto a bar above his head. He strains against the ebb and flow of the bus' motions and he is suddenly keenly aware of those around him.
But he feels good about himself.
---
A young teenage girl is attending a party with some friends. She is a bit uncomfortable amid the chaos but tries to maintain herself. She is approached by a boy who used to date her friend. He says hi. She says hi. The conversation is a welcome distraction. He suggests they depart and find some place to talk in private. She remembers her friend and politely declines, thinking to herself that this moment could be the birth of something dramatic. He walks away.
But she feels good about herself.
---
A marriage ends. The man has to move back home to stay with his widowed mother until he can get things figured out. The luster of motherhood has faded into simple smiles of support, and offers of home cooked meals which are far less glamorous than from years past. Mothers eventually have to be friends. Sons eventually have to be adults. The man carries a heavy heart with no where to turn for support. The mother, seeking to help her son in any way she can, sets her son up on a date. He declines the date and begs to be left alone.
But she feels good about herself.
---
She does little to make her life work. She has no job and wanders the land living off the kindness of strangers. Much has been done to accommodate her way of life. Slowly her friends stop helping. They stop knowing how. In response, she develops more colorful dramas to re-attract attention to her needs. This drives some of her friends away, while others return. She smiles gratefully for the much needed attention. And she remembers that the missing friends make for much needed future drama.
And she feels good about herself.
---
A man stands in the ring. He faces another man in a fight. He admires his opponent but today he must hurt him. The man needs the fight. His opponent needs to win the fight. The punches hurt. The punches he hurts his opponent with hurt more. The punches landing on the man's face begin to hurt less and less. The man knows he can win the fight. His opponent's face looks heavy and lost. The man decides to take a fall.
And he feels good about himself.
---
A man returns to his apartment building. In the hallway he finds a woman passed out in front of her door. She is attractive. One of her breasts has escaped her top. The man tries to wake her up. She doesn't respond. Her breast is firm and inviting. It is late. There is no one around. He touches her firm breast. She opens her eyes and sees the man holding her breast. He stops touching her breast. He offers to help her inside. She pukes on his shirt.
And he feels good about himself.
---
Lately, gestures made by others have had a great impact on me. I have learned a lot about myself and how I feel about the people I know based solely on gestures. I'm shocked. But I'm okay with what those gestures have come to mean to me.
And I feel good about myself.
But he feels good about himself.
---
A young teenage girl is attending a party with some friends. She is a bit uncomfortable amid the chaos but tries to maintain herself. She is approached by a boy who used to date her friend. He says hi. She says hi. The conversation is a welcome distraction. He suggests they depart and find some place to talk in private. She remembers her friend and politely declines, thinking to herself that this moment could be the birth of something dramatic. He walks away.
But she feels good about herself.
---
A marriage ends. The man has to move back home to stay with his widowed mother until he can get things figured out. The luster of motherhood has faded into simple smiles of support, and offers of home cooked meals which are far less glamorous than from years past. Mothers eventually have to be friends. Sons eventually have to be adults. The man carries a heavy heart with no where to turn for support. The mother, seeking to help her son in any way she can, sets her son up on a date. He declines the date and begs to be left alone.
But she feels good about herself.
---
She does little to make her life work. She has no job and wanders the land living off the kindness of strangers. Much has been done to accommodate her way of life. Slowly her friends stop helping. They stop knowing how. In response, she develops more colorful dramas to re-attract attention to her needs. This drives some of her friends away, while others return. She smiles gratefully for the much needed attention. And she remembers that the missing friends make for much needed future drama.
And she feels good about herself.
---
A man stands in the ring. He faces another man in a fight. He admires his opponent but today he must hurt him. The man needs the fight. His opponent needs to win the fight. The punches hurt. The punches he hurts his opponent with hurt more. The punches landing on the man's face begin to hurt less and less. The man knows he can win the fight. His opponent's face looks heavy and lost. The man decides to take a fall.
And he feels good about himself.
---
A man returns to his apartment building. In the hallway he finds a woman passed out in front of her door. She is attractive. One of her breasts has escaped her top. The man tries to wake her up. She doesn't respond. Her breast is firm and inviting. It is late. There is no one around. He touches her firm breast. She opens her eyes and sees the man holding her breast. He stops touching her breast. He offers to help her inside. She pukes on his shirt.
And he feels good about himself.
---
Lately, gestures made by others have had a great impact on me. I have learned a lot about myself and how I feel about the people I know based solely on gestures. I'm shocked. But I'm okay with what those gestures have come to mean to me.
And I feel good about myself.
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