Vicarious

Sounds as though it could be the name of a TV show, doesn't it? I'm not sure how the show would look, but my life--in which I imagine many things by living vicariously through others' experience--now, that's something I can see...
 
As I navigate through the city streets to handle a car maintenance errand, I think about how much simpler the same errand must be in the suburbs.
 
As I trek along hot streets, choosing my destinations based on how many blocks I feel like walking, I think about my friends who have driven hundreds of miles today to reach their destination--vacation.
 
As I go to and from the basement doing our large pile of laundry, I think about my friends and relatives in houses, who can do their laundry daily without ever leaving home.
 
As I arrange for a summer for my kids, I imagine what the summer might look like if money were no object.
 
Clearly, we cannot live our lives completely vicariously through the experiences of others. I will not be moving to a house in the suburbs or embarking on a long road trip any time soon. Our circumstances are ours, and ultimately, we have to live our lives within those circumstances. But if we can live vicariously, just a little bit sometimes, we open ourselves to what could be, instead of feeling stuck with what is. And sometimes, we realize that "what is" is really pretty good.
 
So what exactly would that "Vicarious" TV show look like? I'll get back to you on that. I'm busy living vicariously through that person who's eating the hot fudge sundae.