"That Moment When You Realize"
You know what it's like
when people around you
ignore your needs, but
when they don't, it's
a surprise and a delight --
that moment when you
open the door of the museum
and a tidal wave of sound pours out
so that you and the person next
to you both take a step back
and it's the other person in
the party who says, "Shall
we go somewhere else?"
and so you do;
that moment when
a friend looks up from
a menu on the door,
having found nothing,
and you say,
"Let's keep walking,
there are plenty more
restaurants down the block,"
and they smile at you
like you've just hung the sun;
that moment when you realize
this is what vacations are
supposed to be like,
what they're like for
ordinary people all the time,
being able to avoid things
you don't like and find
things you do like,
and it's no big deal;
that moment when you realize
you have really nice friends
whom you're very lucky to have,
and you maybe love them more
than some people you grew up with;
it's a surprise and a delight,
it's as addictive as oxygen,
and just as essential.