Quantum Leap

On occasion, as I wrap up a really great book, I get overwhelmed and a little sad, thinking about all the really great books I will never have time to read. I get the same sense of panic when traveling. What if I lived here? What would my life be like? And then, a bit more far-fetched, I often get envious when observing other races and cultures. I want to experience that. I want to speak another language, have a different skin color, and participate in a different rhythm of life. What I think it all comes down to is me understanding that life is short and I desperately crave to see, feel, and experience as much as I possibly can before it is over.

I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandmother as a child, and one of our favorite television shows to watch together was Quantum Leap. The premise of this show was that the main character, a middle-aged man, woke up each episode as a completely different person; once as a pregnant woman, once as a child with Down Syndrome. The list went on and on. And then, during the episode, he was tasked with solving a major problem specific to that person’s life.