Can you hear me now?

There I was, standing on the edge of the room, watching, listening, looking in the faces of those around me. And then, I noticed him across the room, standing quietly.
The mind is an odd thing I know, and that is the only explanation I can give for the next moment. For some reason I was watching that Verizon commercial in my mind and hearing that guy say, ‘Can you hear me now?’
As I looked closer at his eyes and face it was like he was crying out that same phrase. He was standing silently in the midst of so many and yet no one was hearing. The pain and sorrow he felt deep within his soul had filled his eyes with a sadness. He was crying out with all the force he could gather, and yet, no words were coming out. Somehow the depth of his sorrow could find no words. And so, he stood quietly, crying out for someone to join him on this journey.
As I stood there watching him, I saw another pause for a moment before him and ask that non-question, ‘How’s it going?’ I saw him put on that non-smile and respond with that non-answer, ‘Everything is going well, thanks.’ And the line from the commercial came back to mind, ‘Can you hear me now?’ And I knew that he was asking that same question. No, not with the imagery of the commercial in his thoughts, but deep within him he was wondering, ‘Can anyone hear me now?’
Wanderer101