Stuff was happening. Even in Half-a-Life. Little things, but it all added up to something big. To our lives. It was happening all along. These were our lives. This was it. My mom was hanging onto the lives, the recorded lives, of these women. We might escape, but what if we didn't? What if we lived in Half-a-Life all our lives, poor, lonely, proud, happy? If we did, we did. These were our lives. If we couldn't escape them, we'd have to live them.
Stuff was gradually unfolding, even in the seemingly insignificant setting of Half-a-Life. Small events were accumulating, hinting at something larger impacting the characters' existence. It highlighted how everyday moments and choices contribute to the bigger picture of their lives, making the readers realize that change or stability could hinge on these small details.
The narrator reflects on the lives of women recorded by their mother, contemplating the possibility of escaping or being stuck in their current circumstances. The idea of living a "Half-a-Life" suggests a life of limitation—poverty, loneliness, but also pride and happiness. If escape isn't possible, they must accept and live with their reality, emphasizing the resilience and acceptance in their everyday lives.
