I was on high ground during a hike today. The trail was on a ridge that allowed for a 360-degree view of Lakeside, full of houses, streets, commercial buildings, schools, and the like. Beyond were mountains, all around — it was a beautiful view.

My carpool group had split. One had gone back to the car early, and half of the rest of us decided to make a loop and go back by the streets. Me, I decided to take the long way and go back the route we came, on the ridge, up high, looking down on Lakeside and keeping an eye out for the two of us who went by street.

It led me to watching tiny cars drive by as I walked, each car holding at least one person with a unique destination in mind — work, school, home, errands, whatever, wherever. I could see the students at the nearby school pour out of the gym and do laps around the field, and I could see people’s backyards, some in a state of disarray, perhaps in the middle of long-term home projects.

Prior to the hike, the driver in our carpool group had talked about replacing and painting the doorframes in their house, a conversation topic which had somehow stemmed from some knitting and crochet projects that others had brought up even earlier. Before that, another one of us had talked about driving down to Mexico to get an expensive dental procedure done.

All of it made me realize the sheer amount of energy put into all these different activities done by all these people — so many people — all simultaneously.

I had been so wrapped up in my own doings lately that the revelation was humbling. All around me, in Lakeside, everyone else was wrapped up in their own doings, thinking about where they had to go and what they had to do next. Every one of them had bills to pay, work to do, hopes and dreams, worries and troubles, people in their lives who needed them or took care of them, supported them or stressed them out.

The idea made everything seem small, inconsequential. We’re all just living our lives, and whatever’s going on in your own life, whatever happens, Life in general just goes on. Reassuring, somewhat. Why worry about the one or two people in your life with whom you might be in constant conflict? Why stress out over this or that issue, this or that kink in your plans?

Why cry out, “Why me?!”

It’s everybody.

Everybody is living, doing, struggling, stressing, working, worrying — everything. When you look at Life from up high, Life is grand. It’s beautiful. Each person’s struggle seems more poignant and beautiful as well. They are just one in a million, but like all the others, they’re living their life and doing their thing.

I’m certain you don’t have to hike up to high ground to see the world this way, though.

Other people just play Sims.

Same thing, really.

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