strangers

sometimes, i look at strangers and i try to imagine their life. i look at their clothing, belongings, expressions, present physical location. i start with small theories, like where they're going, where they're coming from. i try to judge the importance their conversation or destination weighs in their mind. after these first tentative steps, i soon become frustrated by my overwhelming lack of understanding. even if these people were to take me to their homes, introduce me to their families, and tell me of every time they ever laughed or cried or bled or dreamt, i would still have a very small grasp on who they are. my mind's field of vision is limited by my own experiences.

i have a dna makeup that predisposes me to certain ways of thinking, feeling, reacting. from there, i am influenced by experiences and acquaintances. my mind, my heart, my goals, my style are shaped according to even the most remote of instances my life sees.

our existence makes it impossible to empathize entirely with another. this is because we are all embedded with a code to react, which is constantly updated and revised. no code is the same, as no life is the same.

the fact that our own life prevents us from truly connecting with others is a seemingly disheartening prospect. it is, however, what makes life so grand. our code is enriched when we try to understand another human being on a deeper level. for the same reason that true love is life changing, our souls are expanded by attempting to shed our sense of self in order to really see another person.