True Story

I was trying to get someone to recognize that I was a human being, recently. I decided that if they would continue their upbraid - I would just strip naked. The hope was that they would notice I was naked , and then realize there was a lag time between when they could talk about the fact that I was naked - and when I actually stripped.

It took them 30 minutes before they actually noticed. Which is to say, they probably noticed I was physically naked - immediately. But their prepared speech continued on unabated.

I think we are in danger , as a species, of losing our humanity. I don't think this kind of disconnection from the real world happens as a result of natural or organic processes. Last night my daughter was frantic because she couldn't get a shipping label done. In Alain De Bouton's 'Status Anxiety', we read that in 1972, only 2% of Americans felt that a second phone line was a necessity. Today, 45% of Americans feel it necessary. 11% thought that a car should have to have Air Conditioning. Today, 64% of all Americans require it. 3% thought they should have to have a second television set. Today, 36% of Americans feel a second TV is necessary.

And what of the social network? How does that work? When you're so concerned with your prepared speech, or your daily status update - that a person next to you, can strip naked and you will continue on? How many of us are in a train, and the person next to us is on a cellphone? How many of us actually connect, anymore?

Perhaps its best we re-evaluate our priorities. Mine, right now, happens to be getting taxes done before deadline (I have a corporate filing deadline). But that's business. In my personal life, I will be happy with any semblance of peace and harmony that I can forge.