Lost in the Fog

I’m not sure what to think about what happened last night. It was so bizarre…

Weary from work, I was totally spaced out during the drive home. The radio was on, but I barely heard anything that was playing. My mind was in a daze, which made it difficult to think about anything except the road. The visibility was awful, and us commuters labored our way up and down 19^th Ave.

After parking the car and grappling with my many grocery bags, backpack, laptop, and gym bag, I hoisted my load with gritted teeth and began trudging to the apartment. I had forgotten my jacket and was shivering in the cold. The mist was particularly strong, and my face was starting to get wet. My balancing act with my packages didn’t last long, and I felt my duffel bag slipping in my right as my left was struggling with a mega-pack of paper towels. A mere ten feet away from my doorstep, my cargo gave way, and my items dropped all over the sidewalk. I cursed San Francisco for making me so miserable, and in my frustration, I stomped my foot and wagged my finger up at the horrible sky.

At that precise moment, I saw something so remarkable that my mouth fell open, and I stopped in bewilderment with my finger still hovering in the air.

Even through the misty darkness, a purple orb was glowing faintly above me. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, because the glow would fade to nothing, and the orb would seem to completely disappear. Slowly, but surely, it would light up again, illuminating the orb just enough to delineate its shape – an octagon, not a perfect sphere. The guy from Safeway had described something similar.

Despite the rarity of seeing a semi-brilliant firework hanging out next to the moon, I felt enormously calm and relaxed. While I wanted to shout to the neighbors and the police and the government that someone should immediately check this out, part of me wanted to just let it be. It seemed oddly unobtrusive there, just fainting in and out while the world was distracted with its life.

For whatever reason, I tore myself away from the spectacular gem and stooped down to pick up my things. I gathered my belongings in my arms, took one last look at the heavens, and went quietly into the house.

At least I wasn't alone in what I saw. Others are noticing, while others sleep unknowingly in their beds.