Just Wondering

Friday night was the first night that I traveled home from Chicago.  I had a late flight and by the time I headed for the airport it was dark.  I had to navigate my way through several neighborhoods, then onto the main artery, and finally onto the highway system that was jammed with a 15 mile traffic backup.  It was an adventure in many ways but it was also interesting journey as I wondered and thought about where all of the people were going and what had taken them to that specific place at that specific time.

For example, every road that I took connected neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city, and ultimately state to state.  As I passed through the neighborhoods and cities, I wondered if there were a few people on a journey similar to mine.  Were there actually people going to Nashville from Chicago that were making a huge change in their life and making a job change and moving to another state and that were going to be empty-nesters within the next several months?  Surely there were.

As I drove further, I could also see soccer games going on under the lights.  From the look of it, the game was a girl's high school game.  The parents, and friends, and students were already gathered there and enjoying the game and I wouldn't be home for another 3 to 4 hours.  Had these girls lived in Chicago all their lives?  Were their parents moving any time soon?  Obviously, I didn't know but still I was curious.

Every city seemed similar as I passed through them.  Home Depots, Starbucks, school buildings, police stations, water towers, and similar homes stretched for miles and miles.  But although each city was the same, I knew they were all different too.  From the high school football games, to the church buildings announcing the Thursday night BINGO games, to the streetlights that announced the street names, every city seemed to have it's own identity and feel and socioeconomic status.

It all seemed so familiar, yet at the same time there was a kind of mystery attached to this night.  Just as the cities seemed familiar yet different, it was strange to look through the car windows at stop lights and think about the people there.  Again all connected, yet different and fascinating all at the same time. 

It's hard for me to describe my feelings on Friday night.  It was one of purpose, yet one of being a very small part of a huge "thing". I felt like I could possibly make a difference in my little space of the universe, but I also felt helpless as I peered out the window and realized there was no way I would affect the millions and millions of people in Chicago.  I wondered without answer, without knowing.

And sometimes I think that is OK.  Just to wonder and not have all the answers.  To wonder "what if".