Everyday Juggle

Joseph finds Garret on his couch, sitting still, eyes open and staring off into a corner of the room. "What are you doing?" he asks.

"Struggling."

"Struggling with what? Seems like you're just sitting on the couch doing nothing."

"It's the everyday struggle, Joe. I guess it's something you just don't know about."

Joseph rolls his eyes. "Okay, then explain it to me."

"I realize that plenty of other people in the world have it a lot worse than me, I'm not that obtuse. I'm employed and have a roof over my head and so, relatively speaking, life is good." Garret's eyes remain fixed on the corner of Joseph's living room.

"So what is it?"

"There are just so many choices we have to make every day. It's overwhelming. I mean, even on my little salary, I could go out right now and pick up a bucket of fried chicken, a huge portion from the Chinese food place, a cheesesteak … you know pretty much anything we could want."

"So that's what this is about. You're hungry and can't decide what to eat."

"No! No Joe, it's not about food. I happen to be hungry right now, so that's the example I used, but this is about a lot more than just food."

"Well, what?"

"I don't know, think for yourself, wouldja? I could run five miles or stream a marathon of pretty much any tv show ever all night or chain smoke or go to the movies or drive to Atlantic City or, or…."

"Or?"

"I don't know! The possibilities are endless, everyday."

"Sounds more like a juggle than a struggle. You're just juggling all of the different stuff you have to do or wanna do on a daily basis."

"Whatever."

Joseph sighs. "So for now you've decided to sit on the couch and do nothing."

"For now, yes."

"That's very Zen of you."

"Joe?"

"Yes?"

"I'm still hungry."

"Did you expect to become less hungry without eating something?"

"Let's order a pizza."

"Okay."

"Can you get it?"

"Always easier to make those everyday choices with someone else's money, isn't it?"