American Diner: Café Rene

21st July, 1969- it wasn’t your regular Monday. The air was buzzing with the news of an extraordinary deed, mankind had achieved something truly out of this world. Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the moon. Aldrin soon followed- their steps caused quite the quake on the earth. “One small step for man—one giant leap for mankind.” This historic moment found itself plastered on every newspaper, preserved for posterity; a source of inspiration for the generations to come. Amidst the ecstatic enthusiasm laden with pride, it was; still; a Monday. The moon may revolve around the earth, but as fantastic a feat it was, the lives of earthly mortals did not revolve around it. A young professional dressed in a starched suit finds himself in a diner, fetching whatever he can find for breakfast that’ll sustain him till noon. He has glanced through the article in the New York Times on the commendable carrying out of the Apollo 11- and has moved on. Everyone seated at the café seems to be living life, a regular one. Be it the woman devouring her burger or the couple having a chat at the back; or the little boy being dragged away by his mother as he peers through the glass. Life of an ordinary person flows around an important event; they stand back, appreciate and applaud; but finally; they move along. Man did walk on moon, but man down here walked to work that day too.