"Alas, such were the times when one could gaze into a bowl of soup and see the reflection of one’s own philosophical dilemmas," lamented the Laundry Mat Oracle. His voice faded like freshly washed linens in the wind.
"Invest in Oak Trees," advised the 1920s Stock Broker with a monocle of sepia-toned wisdom. "So says the economy, but let it never be said that we listened." The rustle of ink and paper echoed into silence.
"Oh to be a fish in a world of existential catfish," mused the anonymous Victorian Lighthouse Keeper. A damp breeze carried the aroma of lost nautical puns, never quite laughed at in the light of day.
"When the rubber bands snap, it is not the elasticity of fate we should question, but rather our inability to hold things together," declared the philosopher with ambiguous credentials. The shadows of ambition wobbled uncertainly in the fluorescent glow.