The whole world, or you?
Autor: Hannah Alff | Publicado: 2014-01-03T06:11:00-08:00




Recognition and charisma are two sentimental ghosts that should outflank us in any routine we decide to take. I believe that I learned this in a twenty-minute conversation I had with my great-uncle at a bus stop. For some reason, as soon as a child ran past us, he turned to me and said:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Young lady, close your eyes and let your imagination flow. Just listen. Think of all those grumpy people&nbsp; that pass beside you on the street and you may believe that it's not worth to smile. Maybe you also think that it's not worth to try, after all, not many got where they wanted to so why would you get there, right? You will have this thought until the day you wake up and it's with regret that you leave the covers 
and put the most comfortable and presentable clothing that you have to, then, face the 
rest of the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You run to the bus stop, oh, you were late. By a twist of fate, the driver knows you and instead of just leaving, he waits for you. You think it's weird, but you thank him and sit on a bench on the left. When you get near to the service, you get off the bus and you realize you must pass through that newsstand that smells strongly as tobacco. Before moving on, you have the idea to cross the street just to avoid contact with the man who never greets you. The laziness, then, take its part and, hum, one newspaper's headline is kind of interesting. You czech your pockets and apparently there are some coins that have been the change of your coffee the day before.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- I don't like coffee, Grandpa! You should know that a eleven year-old child do not drink coffee.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Payback of popsicles, then, okay!? Close your eyes again. Well, then grabs a copy of the newspaper and , with a sleepy face too exaggerated for a Thursday, you'll pay for it to Mr. smoker. My God ! He smiles at you, and what a surprise, his eyes are dark bright as you imagined to be in the ocean depths. You realize that you had never seen them. You smile back at him, a wry smile of gratitude for the journal and shame, because you have never tried to look at those eyes before.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Walking
 a couple of blocks away, you enter the building in which you work and 
think about going straight to your department, without even saying "good morning" to the secretaries that are always in a strange
 constancy of sanding their nails. But the day has barely begun and have already surprised so much, so you wonder: what will happen if I greet them? Well, you just found out that you will go up in the elevator with a chocolate cookie in your hands. Since when they have these cookies?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Already in your room, your reports assistant is waiting for you with an immense paperwork. You just smiles and say:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- That's it for today?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While she grimaces and replies:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Are you all right?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Let's say that the world seems to be in my favor today.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The auxiliary laughs and then tells you:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Or it's because they think it's strange to wear slippers with a social clothing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At this time, my great-uncle went silent. I waited for him to continue the narrative, but I looked to my side and he just watched me with a curious look. My face must have been funny because he just looked away to catch the bus fare in the moment it was coming as he said:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- It's a metaphor, daughter. Maybe you're too small and I'm just an old senile, but what changed? The whole world, or you ?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We&nbsp; took the bus and stopped thinking in the story. Two
 years later, my great-uncle left us, without explaining the metaphor to me, 
and now, four years later, I miss him and feel a tightness on my heart, because I think I understood the story only now and I wanted to be assured that slippers will be in my hands, one day.