This morning, while walking to work, I decided it was a great time to multi-task and have my cell phone service transferred to a new provider. A curious thing happened on my way. My brain, so focused on the arduous task of transferring phone service, while juggling two phones, copious notes, and needed papers, completely went on auto-pilot. Thus, when I found myself seemingly teleported from my neighborhood to a distance easily 10 to 15 minutes into my normal walk, I had a Talking Heads "Once In a Lifetime" moment of "well, how did I get here?"
For a 63-year-old man, this unplanned time travel is a scary-assed thing. Being anywhere and not knowing how you got there should be frightening. I mean, I know I was walking from point A to point B, but was I so familiar with the route that I guess my brain just told my legs, arms, eyes, and the rest to soldier on until further notice? Well, they did! Wow--what else is my brain telling my body to do that I am candidly not aware of?
As I worried about my relative sanity, my mind began slipping reminders to me. "Remember that bus you saw on Court St.?" --Yes, I remember looking up to see a city bus go by in passing--thanks, brain. I realized that my brain worries about the same things I worry about, but also doesn't. It had no need of understanding how I got to where I was, it simply made happen. It is my need to understand my reality that made the mystery of losing the moment so incredibly important to me. I mean, if you lose touch with reality, what have you got? Apparently, you still have a brain and that brain is happy to keep on thinking for you.
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