turning left

walking down the front porch steps and into the alley, i felt like the world was open to me. my first step would lead me to where i wanted to go, and i could go anywhere. the sun was deceiving; it was bitingly cold. if i turned right, i could walk straight into a world of mind-numbing familiarity: campus, library, the mundane trappings of the absolutely ordinary. turning left wouldn't magically lead me into a world unexplored, but it would lead me into a world less familiar. that is what i wanted. that is all i ever want. out of the ordinary. something that will surprise me, interest me, distract me from the patterned life that i have created for myself. encounters are what i long for. running into friendly strangers that i can talk to for hours. walking into a cafe as myself and walking out as a character from an indie comedy. stumbling upon something great - a new band, an artist, a picnic in the park. something to throw a wrench in the routine that has become a burden; a stumbling block. however, by turning left i don't find the quirky encounters that i so dream of. i come home a few bucks poorer and the same person i was when i left.