Quote of the Day: Ernest Hemingway

"For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Hemingway thought his little six-word story was the saddest story in the world. I am not so sure. I came across this article yesterday about the phenomena known as "Blue Monday." Apparently, the fourth Monday in January is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year according to experts who track those kind of things. It actually wasn't too bad for me.

I can't say the same about some guy I've ridden the bus with everyday for a year and never spoken to. I hope I don't sound creepy with all my minute observations but I couldn't help noticing him because he used to be one of the only people besides me who took the stairs up out of the bus tunnel instead of the escalator. He also had a strange energetic way of bounding up the stairs by taking exactly two steps at a time like a show-off.

That all changed yesterday, when he took the escalator after staggering off the bus as if a heavy burden of care had been laid on his shoulders. The spring in his step was gone as was his whole carefully sculpted metrosexual look. He was now wearing his hair long and shaggy and he hadn't shaved for at least a few days. He was wearing sweatpants instead of his tight little hipster jeans and we all know that wearing sweatpants in public is a sign that you've given up on life.

I wonder what happened to him? I spent my morning walk constructing elaborate scenarios to account for his change in demeanor. I guess I could always ask him but he might say something about Jay Leno ruining his life and then I'd be depressed because that's his not the kind of stuff epic novels are based upon.