Worlds Collide in Westfield

I pull out a chair and slide into the table across from Hibachi San, the Japanese Grill, in the food court of the Westfield Mall in Lincoln and soak in the events occurring around me. The food court is almost empty, only a few people stand in line at the Orange Julius, waiting for a refreshing smoothie. I’m sure that it won't be this way for long though, not in this fast paced world that we live in today. An older couple walks towards Subway, taking their time. They both carry a small bag in their outside hand, leaving their inside hands free to hold the others. The woman is thin and slightly shorter than her husband. The crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes suggest a happy lifetime with her husband. A slight smile plays at the corners of her mouth, making it obvious that she is happy with where she is at in her life right now. Her husband walks beside her, quietly observing the various components of the mall. The sunlight coming in from the windows that make up the ceiling to the food court, the bronze colored tables with the dark brown rings around the outside. The leathered brown of his hands suggest a lifetime of hard work and exposure to the sun, like his wife he seems perfectly content to have a day just to relax. His bright red hat sets off the dull brown of his shirt and faded blue of his worn out jeans. The couple continues on, taking in everything, living in the moment.
The glow of fluorescent light coming from the Orange Julius, Habachi San, and the Panda Express, scream to the passing customers “Pick me! Pick me! Eat here!” The smells of Amigos, Runza, and the Panda Express mingle together creating a mixture of ethnic aromas. As it gets closer to six o’clock the slow trickle of people coming into the food court becomes a steady stream of customers. The cleaning ladies tense up, waiting for the first tray full of food to be dropped on the so far spotless brown and tan marbled floor. Groups of teenage girls walk rapidly, almost jogging, to get to who knows where. Their long straight hair lays against the backs of their expensive, designer sweaters and tee-shirts. Their rapid pace and posh clothing parallels that of the older couples’ leisurely gait and worn clothes. The workers behind the Japanese Grill stand smiling, ready to greet their first famished customers, while the employees at Great Wraps look forebodingly at the people coming into the food court area.

The crusade to the food court is started by three mothers pushing their toddlers in strollers towards the steadily growing line for Runza, a group of high school girls carry bags from The Buckle, Victoria’s Secret, and American Eagle, gossiping away about how cute their newly purchased outfits will be, how they will attract their crushes with this or that shirt. Young mothers quickly guide their fidgety, squirming kids to the bathroom, while others are followed by their gaggle of children like little ducklings following their mother.

The noise level of the mall crescendos to a high point as the food court is filled with hungry people. The Habachi San comes to life as the cook tosses food about in the wok, throwing the food into the air at an almost impossible height for it to be caught again. The fire of the grill matches the intensity of the people coming into the food court, it has become a mad house, an asylum of famished people, the fire stretches to new heights and hisses, spitting as particles of food fall from the wok into the hungry fire, which devours the food instantly.

The sound of confrontation fills the air, a mother with her pre-teen daughter, are locked in a dispute. The hushed, slightly embarrassed voice of the girl is countered by the unyielding determined voice of her mother.
“But Mom, you wouldn’t understand! I NEED this skirt, everybody else has one just like it!” hisses the frustrated girl.
“I already told you, it costs way too much for way too little material. Maybe everyone else has one, but I will not let my daughter walk around wearing that.”

The argument continues as the older couple sits down in the table. They each hold their small bag from JcPenny’s and the husband carries a tray with two small Subway sandwiches on it. They casually take their seats across from each other and the husband hands his wife her meal. As they begin to eat slowly they talk calmly about their day of shopping and the random thoughts that just seem to pop up. They look around the food court and smile at the mothers rapidly escorting their children to the bathrooms, a glimmer comes to their eyes as if they were remembering back to a time when they did the same with their children. The horde of gossiping teenage girls pass quickly by talking in a manner so fast, it’s almost impossible to comprehend. Their pace and youthfulness parallel the manner of the older couple, and yet I question who is enjoying their time more.

As I observe this parallel of worlds, I wonder if it’s the difference in age that makes the difference or it just goes to show how much society has changed over time. How can we get to that relaxed carefree state that the older couple is at? Do we have to wait for our time to be that relaxed, or do we have to make our own time for relaxation to occur? Society has changed, that can’t be denied, we want everything and we want it now. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, whether it be back home or to continue their shopping, people would order their food, quickly devour it, and then rush off to get to wherever they needed to be. Even though their dinner consisted of just two simple sandwiches, the couple took their time eating, talking, and reflecting on the events of the day. The old couple was content with their department store purchases, while the high school girls toted around their bags filled with designer clothes as the pre-teen begged her mother for an expensive skirt. This just goes to show how materialistic and fast-paced our society today can be. I think that sometimes it is okay to keep up the fast-paced style of life that we are used to living in. Sometimes this seems as if it might be necessary to keep up with what is going on in our world today. However, I think that many times we need to slow down, live in the moment and take things as they come like the older couple did.

The activity in the food court slows down after most of the people have gotten their food and rushed off to do better things. The older couple sitting in the table next to me slowly folds up the colorful yellow and green paper wrappers that were used to cover their now consumed sandwiches. As they make their way to the trash cans to throw away their leftover food and empty cups, the custodians shoot them a look of gratitude. Making their way to the doors I glance over at the various food places. The cook at the Hibachi San is cleans off the grill and takes the used wok to the back, the workers at Great Wraps pick up left over particles of food and deposit them into the trash behind the counter, and the cleaning ladies pick up their brooms and begin to sweep over the now trod on floor. I gather my things making one last note of the fluorescent lights that not long ago called on so many customers, are now dim and ready to retire for the night.