Gary Jules ….

And I find it kinda funny

I find it kinda sad

The dreams in which I’m dying

Are the best I ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It’s a very, very mad world, mad world

Have you ever visited a wonderfully vibrant city like New York? So many people vacuumed-packed into such a small space, it’s undeniably the epicenter of so much of what goes on in this nation – if not the world as a whole – as it is the home of the Federal Reserve, the Dow Industries, United Nations, Advertising and the American Fashion industry just to name a few. It also serves as a cultural icon playing host to the Met, Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art, as well as The Kennedy Center and of course the illustrious Broadway theatres. While the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings punctuate its skyline, other architectural masterpieces like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York Public Library, and Waldorf-Astoria pay homage to the city that never sleeps, while still other iconic images like the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty stand watch over its waterways. It’s no wonder this small town girl often feels just a little ‘out of place’ when called upon to navigate its streets and byways without the aid of a seasoned veteran.

Throughout all of her trials and tribulations with lovers, New York City remained Carrie Bradshaw’s most reliable love interest during each of the ninety-four episodes of Sex and the City. But the highly stylized – if not entertaining – portrait created by the enormously popular series hardly reflects what I’ve found to be true in reality. While New York City has many and varied claims to fame, it also represents a microcosm of what’s most troubling in society. When I visit I fail to see any female foursomes dressed to the nines and sporting 5” heels while walking in tandem with arms locked as if to symbolize an unspoken solidarity, but rather I see countless women walking alone, clad in various shades of black and clutching oversized handbags in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Their faces betray little or no emotion as they traverse one city block after another, all while donning sensible shoes. In a city of over 8 million people they are alone – disconnected – due to having to work far too many hours to support a life that for most of us remains financially out of reach.

Men on the other hand are often seen talking too loud on their cells in order to drown out a sitting literally brimming with background noise as they endeavor to squeeze the most out of each possible minute between meetings. Occasionally some statuesque model-like figure of a woman will pass by and briefly disrupt their concentration, but only for a moment before its back to business as usual. So much to do …. so little time.

Isn’t it sad that so many of us no longer work to live, but rather live to work? All of our efforts to maximize our leisure time have led to the kind of conspicuous consumption that ends up doing just the opposite by zapping our quality of life to the point it’s often impossible to slow down long enough to be able to relate to one another in any way that might be construed as meaningful.

There’s been so much concern about the use of drones these days …. from ramping up our national security to having your Amazon packages delivered by a robotic humanoid with no name. You can even purchase your own drone – at a cost – from a wide selection of choices offered online. They can take pictures and videos from miles away and the Parrot AR.Drone2.0 has the capability to create its own Wi-Fi. Others support action cameras like Go Pro Hero while still others are designed specifically for First Person Viewing (FPV) …. the list goes on. While certainly hip and cool, I fear that it’s humans who will wind up assimilating their usefulness into our everyday lives as much as it is the drones who will one day have to decipher our viability in a world dominated by technology. Could it be possible that sometime in the distant future human beings – who mainly consist of flesh, bone and urea – might be ruled obsolete? Before you dismiss the concept entirely, it’s worth noting we have already adapted ourselves to the technology we’ve all become so dependent upon versus the other way around.

As we navigate through life’s passages apparently oblivious to the world constantly unfolding around us at every single turn, we continue walking expressionless, often unaware of basic human need and suffering …. even when it’s our own. Is it any wonder why some of us implode? Like an abandoned structure whose fate has suddenly been sealed in the name of progress, the ghosts from our past, present and future are trapped within the vacuum, screaming to be heard while nobody listens.

Not all of us go out and buy a gun and ammo with the intent of venting our frustration against an unsuspecting public, but rather some of us choose to just walk away while trying to come to grips with a new reality that has mercilessly ripped our peace-of-mind right out of our skulls, thereby leaving us to search for happiness elsewhere. But I heard something of use just this morning …. “When you’re surrounded by darkness, all you need do is turn on the light.” I like that.