lost in the mall

i saw her. she was standing right by the foot of the mall's escalator. this little girl, about 5 years old, was obviously confused. she was in a pretty pink dress and her hair was pony-tailed with a white ribbon. she was looking to her left and right, also upwards the escalator. there was apprehension on her face. near tears. i immediately knew what was happening. she's lost.

i watched her. she was biding her time. looking left. right, upwards at the escalator. she's hoping her companions would come back for her. from the time i first glimpsed her i believed about 6 minutes had passed. no one came to fetch  her back. those 6 minutes were of course frighteningly long for a little girl lost. she was crying now. a few people stopped by to talk to her, to comfort her, to cajole, but she was bawling now. she was stomping her feet madly in desperation over not being able to be with her companions. finally, one of the ladies who were talking to her walked towards where the mall's security persons were stationed. she came back with one of the lady mall-guards in tow.

it's amusing how a uniform can easily project authority and trust. when the little girl saw the lady mall-guard, she immediately stopped bawling. the guard knelt down beside her and spoke with her. i saw the little one nod a few times as the guard explained something to her, then there was that relieved smile on her face. the lady guard took the girl by the hand and ushered her upwards to the escalator. i know what will happen. the mall has standard procedure for lost children. she will be taken to a waiting or claim area. her  name and her companion's name, if she can provide it, will be announced via the public address system. the announcement will include a description of her. this will be periodically repeated until she is reunited with her fellows.

i thought the  most probable reason she got separated is because she and her companions got distracted by the sights and sounds in the mall that nobody noticed she had wandered far or that she was no longer walking with them.

ah, the mall. it's really very easy for one's attention to be diverted by it's various forms of entertainment. food shops, clothing stores, jewelry displays, electronics gadgets, game shops .. one is easily entertained just by merely window shopping. you don't need to buy anything at the moment. just look and imagine that in the very near future your home will be showcasing these latest trends in entertainment. 45-inch flat screen high definition tv complete with its own set of high-tech accessories. then, this small electronics tablet of course which you can use to socialize over the web. the 200-meter diver's watch in titanium alloy dangling heavily by your right wrist ... oh, surely a lot of things to occupy the mind and senses.

of course the little girl did not think of these but her mind also got regaled by her own little girl's fantasies when she visited the mall.

we are all somehow like the little girl. sidetracked by the "glamour of the outer life". by the entertainment of the material pleasures. for some period of time, we will be regaled, and then we will come to a point where we will realize we are lost. that this earth mall is not home. it's natural to cry, to be upset, to be apprehensive, that we are not where we should be. what is important is to realize we are lost and to find somebody to bring us to our companions.

to find the way back home.