Where Does The Time Go?

St. Louis is a big city… at least it is to me, anyhow. So with that in mind, can someone explain to me, please, how a city so full of people can be so empty?

It occurred to me tonight on the drive home from work. All of these ordinary people heading home from just another ordinary day, completely oblivious to the fact that 10 hours of their life is now over, and they’ve nothing to show for it. It’s all part of the machine routine, and I am now a bone fide card-carrying member. Sure, there’s a check at the end of every other week, and it’s needed to fuel the credit infested lives of each individual who receives it; but is that truly a testament to having anything to show for your time? The mind boggles.

Some are heading home to ramen noodles and a late night of TV; others heading to the store first for a quick grocery run, before pulling in the driveway and kissing their other half hello. Some others still, rushing to the day-care to rescue their kids from the clutches of the evil caretakers. Single moms, young men, middle-aged wives, and cheating husbands; all walks of life trapped in this cycle of corporate commodity.

A curious hodgepodge of burnt-out middle managers and busy-bees all scurry for the door and get in their autos, simply because the clock reads 5:00pm. They crowd the streets at the same time everyday, turning into a large mass of rubber, glass, steel, and exhaust; individuals distinguished only by the color they drive and the face behind the mirror. They honk their horns and pass each other by, ensuring only in their minds, they will arrive somewhere faster than before. It is a ballet of individuals where no individuals seem to exist, all with just one thought on their minds: home.

My home is empty. I’d rather not go there.