It’s a beautiful day, sunny and cool. The kind of day you would remember for its blue sky; for its breeze. City buildings loom high over hundreds of small sailboats. Families walk through the marina, while joggers, cyclists and athletes train on the bike path.
Tents dot the sidewalk. Trash and other litter gather nearby. Sunburned and filthy, someone is sleeping deeply next to a trash can overflowing with garbage. Nearby a man stands on the sidewalk with his pants down. He is arguing with someone who is not there and taking a s*** at the same time.
…
Dumbfounded, you stare at him. Unable to muster a coherent thought to make sense of what you are watching.
A Cybertruck drives by.
What century is this? Where am I? Am I dreaming? How did we get here? What can be done? Can anything be done?
You have no answers. It is as clear as the color of the sky; you know nothing.
For weeks, thoughts come and go like subway cars. Full, but transient.
This man has parents, maybe siblings. Children even?
Ah, but you do know something.
He is someone … and he has a name.