Our human existence embraces an infinite flow of various experiences, fleeting and distinctive in their own right. Occasionally, these incredible moments reveal themselves in the most surprising of settings, marking a lasting impression on our memories. One particular awakening unexpectedly stunned me while relaxing inside a hotel lobby, a beautiful environment that symbolizes the temporary essence of our lives.
Whether it's for social, business, or romantic meetings, hotel lobbies have always been one of my favorite spots to host these special encounters.
The ambiance in these cool spaces is absolutely desirable: warm, cozy, peaceful, stimulating, entertaining, welcoming - to name a few.
Wish we could stay in these favorable places forever, right? However, unless you personally own the accommodation or are permanent guests with unlimited access, normal visitors who linger in these amenities will always be controlled by time restrictions.
I could vividly recall that sunny afternoon when I walked through the main entrance glass doors of a luxury hotel in my home city. Although its main lobby was quite miniscule in comparison to its total number of guestrooms, I could still feel the enormous energy present, very much alive in the hotel lobby’s eclectic atmosphere.
There was a never-ending traffic of people from all walks of life who also accessed the same hotel doors as I did. There was a playful kid in a blue shirt busy working on a public computer. On the far end, two smartly-dressed executives were having a serious discussion. Meanwhile, a small family was also checking-in at the front desk, excited about their upcoming urban escapades. Close to the entry door, a young female visitor with a red top was focused on her smartphone while on her right side was an old man reading a book.
Nearby, hotel guests were also helping themselves with refreshing cocktails at the adjacent bar and not too far away, other customers were savoring their delicious meals at the attached cafe lounge. The familiar sounds of spoons and forks, glasses tinkling, moving wooden furniture, and lots of voices conversing in the background were clearly observable.
It was at this point that a sudden enlightenment made me realize the passing nature of life. As I comfortably sat at one of their colorfully decorated chairs, I visually imagined the hotel lobby to be a miniature habitat of transience, similar to a bus terminal where different commuters from all age groups would come and go.
Each of the human beings I've just described would carry on, leave, or transfer to other places - their mere presence at the hotel lobby only serving as temporary stops during their individual voyages of life. Like a seesaw, there was a continuous up-and-down movement of the flow of events, reflecting the ever-changing behavior of our short earthly existence.
In other words, all of us are merely traveling by, not just passing through hotel lobbies or other fleeting environments, but through the challenges of life itself. Our limited days are composed of departures and arrivals, hellos and farewells, successes and failures. We develop exciting relationships, create new connections, and eventually move on to our separate ways because of death or due to other unforeseen causes beyond our control.
On the other hand, have you noticed that it's this fleeting passage of life that ultimately makes it valuable? It's inevitable that nothing would last forever, and it's this stark realization that the temporariness of our existence therefore also makes it precious.
Similar to the interesting people present in the hotel lobby, our time to be truly alive is certainly finite. And we will never guess when it's our last day to breathe. Simply put, that's what it takes to be human. Hence, because life is only momentary, shouldn't we make the most of the relationships, experiences, and activities while we still can?
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