Sometimes I look and I see what’s happening as if I’m not me. It’s as if a mirror is over the entirety of my existence and I can see the reflection of my existence looking back. The wind usually blows ripples across this mirror, obscuring the image the moment after I glance. And I’m looking up at the trees again.
—
Today I was elected mayor of our strange city. Our political process does not include nominations; nominees are selected at random and then must run. It’s much like jury duty. I would not have chosen the job. A university president once told me that he couldn’t change anything when I was giving him a hard time about his strategy, and it was because he was much like a mayor. I feel as though I will be a mediocre steward. I either want to leave the tiller to swim in cold fjords or drink coffee in the galley. It seems like the job demands someone who will watch the direction, the compass, and the crew.
What is civilization? It seems to me to be a group of people who are civil to each other on a consistent basis. On that metric, we have succeeded. Our GDP is not massive. Our happiness index could be miserable for all I can tell. But what is happiness? Probably a group of people being civil to each other on a consistent basis. So things are going well, even before I start work.
—
It’s been a full year in the job. I only did two radical things. It’s a record. Most years I’ve done a dozen things most people wouldn’t consider doing. And one of the radical things even worked. A thousand new people moved to town this year.
I wonder why our plucky crew couldn’t just make do with invading Crown Heights or Tallinn. There’s something about making something from scratch. I’m looking at our city from above today. An actual view from above. I’m the mirror, holding myself up to what we built. I feel like a bacterium. Are there more of me? Or are we different species? Perhaps we’re a virus, rather.
—
I’m glad I only had a two year term. I’m ready to retire. I understand why presidents get that grey hair. Will I stay? Certainly on Earth. But I think it’s time to swim in a few fjords.
Roman Ryan 