Harmony flitted past her onlookers in a burst of color. She donned bright orange boots, a ruffled plaid skirt, and burgundy leggings. A jeweled tank-top perfected the ensemble.
No, she wasn’t on the catwalk. She wasn’t walking down the hall on the first day of school either. Harmony was simply on her way to the grocery store, but not just any grocery store – Whole Foods to be exact.
She happened to be running low on vitamin supplements and was in desperate need of some organic wheat bread. Her errand would be brief, because of time-constraints (and a mild case of agoraphobia which made her quicken her pace each time she made eye-contact with a stranger).
What induced her to continue shopping was the promise that she would soon be able to relax, cheerful and comfortable, in the privacy of her apartment. Today, however, would be a departure from that norm.
In less than an hour, she would be returning to her apartment in preparation for a social gathering and making the necessary alterations to her solitary lair that would accommodate company.
Despite the stress this induced, Harmony looked-upon social gatherings with adoration. Nothing made her feel loved more than a roomful of comrades enjoying her company and hospitality. All philanthropy aside, social gatherings catered to her most compulsory needs: friends, food, and felicity.
If Whole Foods could have provided her with these luxuries, she might have considered extended her shopping trips. In fact, she might not have even considered planning a social gathering. After all, wasn’t a grocery store of strangers really a grocery store of potential friends? And wasn’t a grocery store of priced and packaged food really a grocery store of mouthwatering meals?
Harmony thought about this, and the more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to rationalize her aversion to everyday life. The love she felt in the company of friends was fleeting and hampered by routine chores, but was it really so inconceivable to expect to find pleasure in the mundane? Harmony didn’t like to think so.