tales from an ordinary world

1999-09-01

A day off work. The kind of thing one should savour and use wisely, or at least, that's the theory. I took it easy - wander down to St Kilda by tram for breakfast, back to the city via Balaclava...then the train out to Malvern where I had lunch in some little Japanese takeaway place I'd never been to before.

Later, I lay on the grass in Caulfield Park, trying not to be bothered by the sounds of the traffic while I watched the clouds go by.

I watch the people. I usually suspect that they all have more of a sense of purpose in whatever they happen to be doing while I watch them, but I wonder. Surely some of them are aimlessly wandering about like I am ?

I'm amazed by all the stuff in my head. I'm amazed at what I remember (and what I can't remember), and I'm amazed that people think I'm smart because I know things that they don't. I'm amazed at the range of people I get along well with - I've mentioned this before, more or less, but I get the feeling that what most people find appealing about me is that I'll sit there and listen to them. I'm the listener. I take it all in, and sometimes I even make feeble attempts at giving advice. But usually I stick to listening...