how to have a memorable tuesday, stop time, and invade a homeless guy’s personal space

Time flies.

As you get older, time seems to go by faster and faster. The reason is simple: When you’re young, everything is a fresh new adventure you’re just stepping into. But the older you are, the less there is in the world and in your life that is really new.

As the new slowly fades from your life, you fall into routines, and so time slips by amazing quickly.

The only way to stop this is to add newness to your life, by doing things you would never normally do. How?

If you’re me, this is how:

I was returning a movie to McDonalds when I became caught up in the outdoors. The air was great, and I wanted to experience it. So instead of driving home, I headed towards the lake. But then I changed my mind. And as I turned around I saw a nice little convenience store that looked like it might host a few murderings and hold-ups every week. Normally, I would have just kept going. But today, I was following life where it wanted to take me.

I turned around in someone’s driveway, and headed into the store to pick up a 16oz bottle of Coke (I would normally do 20oz) and some dried plantain chips (I would normally get banana chips). Although this store seemed like it might host its fair share of near-death encounters, something about it was ALIVE. More importantly, something about it was new.

I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes, enjoying the sun, and then impulsively headed towards the library. I was following the road where it would lead.

In the library parking lot, I got out and looked around. I didn’t really want to go inside, but I was here to experience something. Suddenly, a narrow trail leading into the woods caught my eye.

Now, if you’re me, you spent your childhood reading books about imaginative adventures that happen when children take off down hidden and mysterious trails. And you know that if you are too afraid to follow the trail where it will lead, you’ll miss out on an ancient treasure or mystery just waiting to unveil itself. In fact, just seeing a trail is enough to magically obligate you to take it. If you’re not me, you probably find this line of thought weird and disorienting. But since I AM me, I naturally took the trail.

There I was, winding my way through bushes and small evergreens, under branches, imagining myself to be taking the red pill and heading into Alice’s dream. What wonderland or adventure might lie at the end of this trail?

Maybe I would stumble upon a secret civilization, or a million dollars stashed away. Maybe I would uncover an alien landing site, or fall down a hole into an alternate universe.

Instead, I stumbled upon a homeless guy. Or rather, his…uh…house. Everything was well outfitted, from the nice clothesline, to the mattress he was sleeping on. Boxes were stacked everywhere. Perhaps he still hadn’t gotten around to unpacking.

And he was fast asleep on the mattress, wearing sunglasses, and looking quite a bit like Bono.

I stood there a while, walking around, wondering if he would wake up. He was apparently quite at peace with his environment. As…um…”houses” for homeless people go, this guy was living in a mansion.

So I let him sleep, and headed back towards the library, with my memorable day stuck firmly in my pocket.

And that’s how I do it.

-micah