Grains on a Beach, Drops in an Ocean, and other Comparisons to Humanity

Faces in a crowd. Who's that cute brunette? What's that guy's problem? Why must that group insist on blocking the hallway to talk? What is that couple thinking, they're in public! Questions you may have thought in your head walking through a crowd. Everyday we come in contact with hundreds of people, but generally they act as nothing more than extras in our own life's story. It is always something of an eye opener to remind yourself that they are not simply background characters, "walk-on-roles", they are actually people. That guy in the red shirt who has a habit of getting killed on the Enterprise, believe or not he has a last name. A back story. He is more than an expendable crew member so that Star Trek can have the drama of losing a crew member with out jeopardizing the main cast. What about the Red-Shirts in our own lives? I could get the attention of the guy sitting across from me in the computer lab and ask him his mother's name. What? Character development? It can be difficult to remember that we are not alone in this story that is our life. There are more than just main characters and Red-Shirts in our lives. Every Red-Shirt is a real live person who has their own story. What does that make me to them, a Red-Shirt? I don't welcome the idea as acting as an unimportant but still dramatic death in a stranger's life. So perhaps I should not look at others as if that is what their purpose is. The girl sitting next to me, what's her name? Is the paper she's writing important. Is she rubbing her eyes because she was up late last night comforting a sick roommate? One will never know. I suppose the message I am trying to express is simply this: People are real. Wow, what a concept! When I was younger I would look at the cars driving next to my mom's 2001 Honda Oddessy (represent!) and imagine what stories the drivers of the other cars had. It can be very difficult to see other cars on the road as anything more than a nuisance sent to obstruct your journey. But remember, to them you're a Red-Shirt. As I have started a blog I have noticed myself doing something similar, I click the next blog option at the top of my home page and read a little bit of the random blog it pulls up. I have never met these people, nor will I ever probably. I once read the musings of a world traveling principle. Until then he had just been a face in the crowd. After ten minutes of reading he had gone from Red-Shirt to a loving father, a mourning son, a caring friend, and an all around funny guy. Another time I found a man who had dedicated a year of his life to a social experiment. He believed that The Wizard of Oz was so ingrained into our society's culture that a reference to it could be found every day. He was right. It's truly amazing what deep and complex lives that Red-Shirts lead. Is Bender (below) just a punk bully psychopath, or a young man who is terrified at the thought of having to join the real world? I do love The Breakfast Club, it is a wonderful example of the Red-Shirt complex, or seeing everyone else as background characters and then having your eyes opened to see them as they really are. Did I watch this movie recently? No, I just felt it fit with my musings. If someone is like me and is skimming this despite not knowing me, thanks for taking the time to remove my cheesy Red-Shirted uniform, it is awfully uncomfortable...