Cosmic Latte

Believe it or not, even the universe makes mistakes. Typically, these mistakes are covered up or hardly go noticed. However, this does not mean that everything gets swept under the rug. For instance, have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why? Or swore on dead relatives that you did something only for it to have been incomplete. Well congratulations, you have been a participant in the grand simulation which you (and many others) consider life.

Time is one of, if not the most, susceptible to these mistakes. You should know, that the saying ‘time flies while you are having fun’ demonstrates that these mistakes have been noted, but also, embraced. Now, I know this may sound grander than it is, systems this big running for this long tend to have that effect on people—there is no reason to worry. To ease those nerves let us use an example of a time glitch, which is relatively harmless, to help demonstrate what I mean.

Here we have two humans, each in a similar spot. They are trying to find the other. However, time keeps them apart. If we zoom in, we can see their lives hardly intersect, causing independent growth from one another. Physical distance is not an issue, however, both claim the same culprit—time. Now, they are not wrong; though they do nothing about it. Whether or not that is their fault, I will leave it up to you.

When they do cross paths with the other, it is brief, but both would agree it is nice. How they should do it again soon. They never do. Then they forget about the other until the cycle repeats.  These cycles are the bitter part of the simulation, timing is everything. These two are perfect examples of it.

Once, they were close—intimate even, they saw the stars in the other’s eyes, and then time marched on. Drunken nights on dorm room floors, karaoke till 2:00 am, and questionable sushi on long road trips were their lives back when their watches were in sync. But of course, if they had stayed so in time, we would not be discussing them.

Now, they seem to only run into the other when they do not have a moment to spare. They could always feel it, everyone does, that sinking feeling you have right before you enter the grocery store. Always when your hair is messy, skipped a shower, or just need a few moments of staring at the dairy isle to recenter the self. Time is one thing and one thing only, inconvenient. These two both had kids, and married people they feel like they spend too much time with.

On summer nights, when all they can hear is midnight traffic and their snoring ‘partner’, they cannot help but yearn for that time. That time when youth blinded them, and they did not seem to mind. But now they looked around and saw what they spent all that time doing. Which was, for lack of words, undiscernible. It is said that time heals all wounds, but, time is also the one that draws the blade.

They saw each other again, that sinking feeling almost bringing both of them to their knees. Both were in a rush (because of course they were). One had to bring their youngest to the dentist, the other one was waiting for their husband to bring around the car. They laughed and said they should get coffee when they are free. The other frowned, not because she felt rejected, but because they realized the cycle was repeating. The other knew this too, she had also become aware of the mistakes of time. So they stood there, frozen in a moment they did not want to let go of. But a toddler gasping for attention and slow-moving headlights broke them apart. They both knew it was unfair, but who had the time to fight it?

The car began to pull away, and the sound of dentistry drills escaped from an opening door. Then one of them stopped, it does not matter which one. All that matters is that one of them tried to make time stop once more.

“I think we should go for coffee.”

“That’s what I just said.”

“I know, but we really should. Next Sunday, you and me. Okay?” The other glanced down at their phone, wanting to check the calendar. They did not give in to the temptation.     

“I always wanted to try that little café a couple of blocks from here.” A sheepish smile followed.

“Great, 10 o’clock?”

“10 o’clock.” They both smiled at each other, both assuming victory over the decades-old mistake.

Two empty seats were waiting for them at that little café a couple of blocks from where they spoke, but neither came. At 10, 11, or 12 o’clock, both were much too occupied with undiscernible activities to show up. Time had just gotten the better of them. Both had text messages from the other excusing their absence. And the cycle repeated.

As you see, even the universe makes mistakes. Not from some malice or a desire for misery. It is just because, sometimes, these things happen. For every second gained is a second lost, a system that is so present within the lives of so many, that no one even notices that it is there. But as you can see, it is harmless. Nothing world ending, which is all that we should be concerned about.

Now that you are up to speed, it is probably time for me to get into what we will be doing. Every few billion years or so the hire-ups want us to do a reset. Nothing too drastic, we just have to pull the plug let it go dark then plug it back in, and then just add some new code. Those who are paid more than us think it will fix some of the bugs. The current simulations will of course be terminated, but for us, new ones will appear in only a few minutes. Then before you even know it, everything will be up and running all over again. It is just part of the cycle. Maybe this time will get it right.