Take A Sad Song And Make It Better
I've found that I've lately been thinking more and more about how life was a lot easier when I was 16. Once you get a car, you attain a freedom that is unmatched at any point in your life. Aside from winning the lottery, there's nothing that matches the feeling of not having any restrictions on where you can go or what you can do - despite any "restrictions" your parents or the law might place upon you.
When I got my license 8 years ago, I had a fantastic Ford Taurus that I enjoyed thoroughly for the 7 months of its life that it was under my care. Despite the fact that I wouldn't call it a pristine condition purchase, I'll admit fully that my "care" may have hastened its demise by a few months. However, that doesn't change the fact that, while I had the car and it worked, it was my dream vessel - the Black Pearl to my Jack Sparrow. It was certainly a symbol of my newfound freedom.
I am very thankful that I spent a portion of what I'd consider my independent "adult" life in the pre-9/11 world. Kids growing up nowadays may never understand what it was like to not think EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED MOTHERFUCKING DAY about imminent demise and the impending threat of terrorism. Before 9/11's resultant wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the last quagmire of a war was embedded in the history books as the incredible mistake in Vietnam.
Life at 16 was fucking grand!
I suppose the issue I'm encountering right now is a struggle with a feeling of helplessness that comes with living in New York. The whole of my apartment here is roughly the size of the upstairs floor of my house in Maryland. I have no car, and, to me, that equates to a maddening lack of freedom. The cost of living here is so high that I live from shift-to-shift (worse than living paycheck to paycheck). And the unfriendly attitude of this city - selfish and self-indulgent - makes me want to scream sometimes.
There's very little in the way of good things to keep me here, but what good there is means so much to me that I can look past the pitfalls of being young and poor in New York.
This can be an incredible city - and some come here to find a freedom that tall buildings and lots of people can project into their minds. But it can also be soul crushing sometimes. I guess I'm just having a bad week.
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.
When I got my license 8 years ago, I had a fantastic Ford Taurus that I enjoyed thoroughly for the 7 months of its life that it was under my care. Despite the fact that I wouldn't call it a pristine condition purchase, I'll admit fully that my "care" may have hastened its demise by a few months. However, that doesn't change the fact that, while I had the car and it worked, it was my dream vessel - the Black Pearl to my Jack Sparrow. It was certainly a symbol of my newfound freedom.
I am very thankful that I spent a portion of what I'd consider my independent "adult" life in the pre-9/11 world. Kids growing up nowadays may never understand what it was like to not think EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED MOTHERFUCKING DAY about imminent demise and the impending threat of terrorism. Before 9/11's resultant wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the last quagmire of a war was embedded in the history books as the incredible mistake in Vietnam.
Life at 16 was fucking grand!
I suppose the issue I'm encountering right now is a struggle with a feeling of helplessness that comes with living in New York. The whole of my apartment here is roughly the size of the upstairs floor of my house in Maryland. I have no car, and, to me, that equates to a maddening lack of freedom. The cost of living here is so high that I live from shift-to-shift (worse than living paycheck to paycheck). And the unfriendly attitude of this city - selfish and self-indulgent - makes me want to scream sometimes.
There's very little in the way of good things to keep me here, but what good there is means so much to me that I can look past the pitfalls of being young and poor in New York.
This can be an incredible city - and some come here to find a freedom that tall buildings and lots of people can project into their minds. But it can also be soul crushing sometimes. I guess I'm just having a bad week.
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.
posted by Dave at 2:36:00 AM
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