No Place at All
No Place at All (a fictional parable) One day many years ago as I stood outside the Metro Center station, I was approached by a stranger. He was a boy about my age, not more than fifteen. “Excuse me,” he said, “I’m lost. Can you point me to the nearest Metro station?” I was astonished since we were standing right in front of a Metro station – and not just any station, the central station of the city. “Dude, are you ok?” I responded. “This is the entrance to the metro. You’re standing right in front of it!” “Bear with me,” he said. “I’m not from here. I come from a small town in rural, and the whole city just seems overwhelming. Everything looks the same – concrete and glass everywhere. It’s hectic, with people and cars and bikes and busses coming at me at every corner. Even at night it’s light, yet shadows lurk everywhere and I am afraid. We hear stories of gangs and criminals. Where I’m from there’s peace a...