The narrator reflects on his disdain for a certain neighborhood, feeling a deep sense of familiarity and discomfort due to its repetitive nature across the world. This is a place he once escaped from, utilizing his unique abilities to break free from the confines of this mundane existence. Returning now, he is confronted with feelings of nostalgia mixed with resistance to the sameness that surrounds him.

Despite his aversion to the environment, he empathizes with the people inhabiting it, recognizing them as victims of their circumstances. They are the "ordinaries," caught in a life they did not choose and cannot change, which provokes guilt within him. Their expressions reflect sorrow and resignation, symbolizing the emotional toll of being trapped in a cycle that he managed to escape. Through their grim faces, he sees the pain of a life endured rather than lived authentically.