They have no answers that a post in GQ could reveal.
They are not important enough to warrant lengthy exchanges in GD.
They are minor mysteries – utterly inconsequential, but nevertheless curious little things that are there, or just happen, in every day life that make you say, “WTF?” They almost certainly have answers – probably – but obtaining them would either be next to impossible, embarassing to ask, or more work than it’s worth.
This morning, for example, as I rode the bus to work, iPod feeding music to my head intra-aurally, I noticed that on the window opposite me and to my left, beyond a ledge at the front of the bus (ostensibly for passengers to place bags or small carry-on luggage on) appeared to have the faint but obvious impression of a sports jersey number on it. An 8, to be exact. It was unusual so it piqued my curiosity. I looked to see if anyone standing in front of the window was wearing such a jersey, but no one was. And anyway the number appeared to be flat against the window, and it didn’t move with the object it was reflected from as you’d expect a reflection would, what with the bus moving and jiggling as it does. So it must have been a reflection from a stationary object – possibly not a reflection of the object itself but perhaps light reflecting off of the object and projecting on the window. Never mind that sports jersey stencils aren’t reflective, or that the object couldn’t possibly reflect light in that direction because of the sun’s position. There was a bag on the ledge, though, and I thought maybe that was it. But no. The woman that belonged to the bag removed it at the next stop, but the translucent stencil was still there, and now there was no possibility that it was a reflection of something. It was just there. How remains a mystery.
Shortly following this someone else got on and placed their transparent carrying case on said ledge. The curious combination of its contents once again piqued my curiosity. Occupying about a third of this container was a long aluminum chassis-like structure about two inches thick, hollow, and sporting on one side what looked like port holes of the sort you’d see on a port faceplate you get with PC motherboards. It probably had another use, but I couldn’t imagine what, and I wasn’t too interested in puzzling it out anyway. What struck me as odd was what rested up against it: teeth. Actually, hinged replica of the human mouth that dental hygenists used to show kids the proper way to brush. A strange combination to be sure, and a minor mystery that will forever go unsolved – but not one important enough for Robert Stack to tackle.
What are your minor mysteries?