"9 Lives" - Part 1

9 Lives - Part 1
This post is called ‘9 Lives’ and is a great test in creativity. It is a description of where 9 different people are at 9 different times during the day. Every person has a different life with different problems and different concerns. I first saw the idea on Marc Olmstead’s blog. Since then a mutual friend, Alan has done his own version of ‘9 lives’ with a slight twist. Here is my interpretation… 04:13 My name is Simon. I work at a popular club in Johannesburg and I just got home. My legs hurt from all the standing and my head feels like it is about to explode. I normally work until 7 or 8 in the mornings but we closed early for a change. I count the money in my pocket and realize I stood all night for a mere R40.00. I walk up to the bedroom only to find my girlfriend Tiffany in bed with another man. 06:25 I’ve been snoozing the alarm clock for the past 25 minutes. I’m lying in bed and it is exactly where I want to stay today. I’m a 33 year old salesman for a paper company and I hate my job. I hate my life. I take a sip from the orange juice I left on the counter the previous day and stare at my reflection in the mirror. I think to myself how nobody will miss me if I don’t go in to the office today. In fact, I wonder if anybody will miss me if I don’t go on with my life at all! 10:38 The waitress looks at me funny as I send back the eggs she just placed in front of me. She obviously doesn’t know the difference between baked and scrambled. I am definitely not going to tip her, as I don’t reward incompetence. I am a 39 year old man that started my own business 7 years ago. I have made a success of it, because I reward those that will be successful and get rid of the links that make a company weak. 10:39 I toss the plate on the counter and see the baked egg slide onto the table. I just came from an unhappy customer that wanted scrambled eggs. I heard him say he wanted scrambled, but my thoughts have been somewhere else today. I am a 29 year old single mother of a beautiful 10 year old boy. His principle phoned this morning after he started a fight at school and I haven’t been able to concentrate since then. My slave driving boss refuses to let me go to the school – and I need the money too desperately to quit. 13:47 The ATM swallowed my card. It is the 4th time it is happened with this card and every time it is a mission to get it back. I don’t have time today. I have an important business meeting at 14:00 and I’m going to be late if I don’t go now. My boss told me I have to get this contract. I am a 24 year old man and after being with the company 5 years, he still sees me as a weak link. I need this contract to prove to him I am still an asset. The traffic is terrible and I fear I might not make it. 14:12 I am a 39 year old white male sitting at a deserted coffee shop in Menlyn. The cold wind blows in through the windows and I angrily look over my shoulder at the door. I had an appointment at 14:00 but the man hasn’t showed yet. I haven’t had a good day so far. Tiffany, the girl I have been seeing ,turned out to have a boyfriend and he caught us in bed this morning. He flipped and threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave immediately. 17:06 My favourite tune is playing on the radio. I am a 31 year old white female and music is my life. I am a teacher at a primary school and usually my day is uneventful. Today I was shocked to see one of my top students in a fight at school. Timmy is a bright mind but I fear his waitress mother is not home enough to give him the attention he needs. If we don’t do something to stop it – he might take the wrong path completely. 19:46 I am a 34 year old married woman living in a medium house in Northcliff. My husband is on his way home from a meeting he had this afternoon. He has been distant for a while and for moments I feared he would leave me. He says work is just stressful and I try and support him as much as I can. We’ve been trying for a baby for a while. I went to the doctor today after suspecting I might be pregnant – and he confirmed it. 22:01 It’s just after 10 and I’m finally on my way home. I’m a medical doctor and I’ve been on duty since 12 last night. Most days my work is very rewarding. A woman came in today for a pregnancy test and I had the privilege of telling her she is expecting. Not all of it is good, though. I saw an old school friend of mine in the emergency room today. He tried to commit suicide this morning and after a lengthy battle to save his life he was pronounced dead. My sister and I talked about him just last week, maybe try and set up a blind date between the two. She is a school teacher and rarely spends her time with adults. The company would have done her some good… perhaps it would have done him more good!