I stare at this ceaseless, rushing crowd and imagine a time a hundred years from now. In a hundred years everybody here-me included-will have disappeared from the face of the earth and turned into ashes or dust. A weird thought, but everything in front of me starts to seem unreal, like a gust of wind could blow it all away.
The passage reflects on the transient nature of life as the narrator observes a bustling crowd, pondering the inevitable fate that awaits everyone. This thought evokes a sense of existential contemplation, highlighting how all individuals, despite their current activity and presence, will eventually fade into nothingness.
This reflection leads to an eerie realization that the vibrancy of life may be fleeting and illusory. The narrator feels a detachment from the scene, perceiving the crowd as something that could easily be swept away by a simple gust of wind, emphasizing the fragility and temporality of existence.
