"Baby let's cruise, away from here
Don't be confused, the way is clear
& if you want it you got it forever
This is not a one night stand, baby, yeah"
I took a trip to (what my city mind calls) the country this past weekend and I learned something very important, I belong in the city. I had been operating under the impression that I belonged in the city for awhile but last weekend proved it. To me, the city signifies a mindset that we live in a united world, not a state, or a town.
In The City, I am bombarded with pictures of the distraction in Japan and the political unrest in Libya. I hear discussions about the economic state of our world and the devastation in war torn countries. But while I was in the suburbs I could feel the disconnection from the world. Soccer mom cars, chain restaurants, big houses.
I'm not saying that living outside of a large city is a bad thing, I'm saying that for me to feel connected to the world, I need to be near the city. I can see myself being easily lost in the comfort and familiarity of people and things around me. I'm more afraid of being complacent than almost anything in my life. Living in a place where I see people from all over the world on a daily basis reminds me that I'm not the only culture living in the world. It clarifies the idea of one race, the human race.
So while I will probably take many weekends away to "get away from it all", I'll always find myself coming back to The City I love. The City that reminds me how precious life is, how fleeting and temporary it all can be. A City that challenges me and that pisses me off, that makes me angry and that also enlightens me, and romances me, and reminds me of how lucky I am to be alive.
Wow. Thanks suburbia for the epiphany.
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