Stared

Written 56-M18 [2025-07-09], Edited 56-M18 [2025-07-09]

Image credit: Twitter Twemoji

The factorials within the factorials. The triangles within the triangles. The magnetic fields within the magnetic fields. The reflections within the reflections. The spaces within the spaces.

These are the kind of things I thought about when I stared at the left turn signal of the traffic light. But it was soon evident that I was staring without looking, or looking without seeing, or seeing without thinking.

“Go! What are you waiting for?” my instructor asked, the Achilles to my tortoise. His training vehicle had an extra brake but no extra pedal. He could stop me but could not start me.

I steered hand over hand, turning the axles, turning the wheels, turning the vehicle. Rotations begetting rotations. Movement begetting movement.

I pushed the pedal and the car sped up. But I forgot to change lanes, because before any of my fingers reached away from the steering wheels, I was thinking about the signals begetting signals.

Notes

This was written in 10 minutes during a Joy of Writing meetup.