a glimpse into my mediocre life

Tonight I should have gone to bed early, since, for the first time in a long time, I can. But instead I headed toward CVS, one of the few places open at 2 a.m. I felt a little like a moth fluttering toward a buglight as I drove through the dark right toward the eye-catching luminosity of CVS.

I don't remember if I needed anything at CVS. I was going because it was late and I felt like talking to people, and preferably people who weren't inebriated.

You get to see a good cross section of humanity; overworked people, reclusive loners, fellow night owls, and the occasional stoner out looking for something to munch on.

The lady I met over in the drink section was named Fran. She raises Irish Setters. She gave me a large quantity of information about Irish Setters, unsolicited.

I don't think her goal was so much the transfer of information as it was gratification of the fundamental need for self-expression. I don't know that I came across as terribly interested in learning the ropes of dog-raising or the grooming of show-dogs, but she didn't seem to mind. She told me a bit about her other job, and even showed me pictures of her daughters.

She also told me about her college days. She had a masters in philosophy. I could tell from the way that she paused after she told me that I was supposed to act impressed. And I was, so I did act impressed. She mentioned in passing her worldwide travels, indulging I guess in the game we all play of attempting to scrub away every last telltale trace of mediocrity from public view and from oneself.

I ended up buying 3 4-packs of Red Bull, a bottle of hand sanitizer, sunblock (just in case), and a discounted set of Precious Moments figurines that caught my eye. The set was discounted because the package was opened and a piece was missing, and also probably because it was incredibly tacky. I've always been a big fan of kitsch, though that word itself is relatively new to me. There's something existentially satisfying about having artwork that I can be sure no one else will try to steal.

While I did value my treasure hoard (and still do, a little bit, all these minutes later), I now find myself wishing I had gone to bed. I am tired. So with that, good night.