Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Stephen King's Dark Tower

I'm a little sad... Anyone who has read one of my various online profiles knows that one of my favorite books (or series of books) is Stephen King's Dark Tower series. In said series, there exists in our world a vacant lot in NY City. Amid the rubble and garbage of this lot is a solitary rose. If you have read the books, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, it would take too long to explain the significance of the rose in this lot. When people walk by the lot, it's like they hear a choir of angels singing in thier heads. It puts them in an inexplicably good mood. They don't know why they are happy or where the joy comes from. They just know the world seems a bit brighter when they walk down this particular street.

Anyway, for the past few months, there has been a vacant lot next to my office building. This lot is strewn with rubble and refuse. On the fence in front of this lot is a sign for the company of Greenbaum & Rose. When I walk by this lot (about 2-4 times a week), it reminds me of the significance of this rose in the vacant lot in the books. That is, to say, its importance is that of the survival of all reality.

When I walked by the lot yesterday, for the first time, the fence door was open. there were workers laying down blacktop. When I walked by today, the job was complete. No more rubble. No more glass. No more garbage, though knowing D.C., that will soon change. The fence is half hanging off its posts. No more fantasies about the rose in the vacant lot. Now, it's just another section of D.C. street.

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