you leave the home depot with a new mindset of how the world works.
how cruel it all is.
how all living beings only live to fulfil one goal.
some live to inspire others, spreading love and encouragement to those who need it most. everything they touch turns to something that can be progressed and improved, like a rip-off midas who turned cheese into gold.
some live to profit, climbing the ladder of wealth until 'danger, do not stand on top step' is pressed under their heels. they pass down money from generation to generation, clinging to the rope of success with their hands coated in oil.
and lastly, some live to eat cornbread.
and those are the most despicable of them all.
you finally make up your mind and decide to stop wasting time on tears. your hand rests in your pocket, curled around the crumbs of your beloved. you wander for what feels like days, finally coming to a halt in front of a park bench.
it takes you by surprise, as all park benches do, and you decide to take a seat.
it's warm and inviting, something you miss most dearly about your cornbread. but it's also sturdy. and gentle and reliable.
you blink in awe of this beautiful structure.
'how has this been here my whole life, with me being so ignorant as to not bat an eye in it's direction?' you wonder, running your hand along the steel armrests. smudges and stains from human fingertips are scattered all along the seat, and you take the time to buff them out with your hoodie. it's the least you could do, anyway, for what the bench has done for you.
