Modern, first-world life is nothing if not a glittering pandemonium.  Walk down Michigan Avenue in Chicago, or on the Ginza in Tokyo, or Times Square in New York City and one is swept away by stimulus overload.  The scale of everything, from the building facades, the store displays, the large screen displays changing dynamically every few seconds leaves one psychologically pulled in multiple directions at once.  The mind vibrates like a defective solenoid, unable to close a connection.

The sights and sounds of modernity leave one empty, exhausted of desire.  What to value, what ought one to seek next?  Everything is simultaneously shouting for my attention.  A capitalist marketplace on steroids.  Fact is, the more that I can afford to have, the greater my disappointment.  Beyond a certain point in life, a line that was crossed so long ago for many of us that we cannot remember when it was crossed,  — the addition of more stuff entails no excitement.  The thrill is gone.

Those who earn their livelihood in the advertising houses know this well, so they turn up the volume, come up with a more outrageous even obscene presentations, find new technological mediums, and always bank on novelty.  Despite all that is spent on advertising, billions, there are diminishing returns.

I think that we have too much, that now that we have experienced the object of our fantasy (ie. the permutations of Disney) — a small inner voice says, “Is that all there is?”

Bottom line, we are a dis-enchanted people.  More desperately so, those of us who by dint of luck have participated in the affluence, the abundance of the last twenty years.  We who have the resources, disguise our unhappiness, the absence of joussiance, of enlivening desire,  — by the purchase of a larger more palatial home, one more luxury car, scheduling another cruise, etc.

As for the less fortunate, there is no mistaking their disgust with the way things are.  At best they are under employed, working several jobs with no benefits, compensated unjustly, anxiety ridden of becoming sick and ruined by unpayable medical bills.  A sense of their despair is the obverse of their enthusiasm at a Trump rally.  The flashy, bombastic man in a business suit, who campaigned from his business jet, — reflects their anger and inner torment.  The glittering pandemonium of modernity’s circus has it’s pitchman, it’s carnival barker.

Now I suppose it is time for me to describe the way out of this impasse, this short circuiting of desire.  I cannot.

I can offer you a song, a Meatloaf tune written by Jim Steinman.  The song suggests that there is an alternative way-of-life, a form of life on offer alongside the frenetically pitched consumerist life-style of this time.  Listen and allow yourself to be informed by the magnificent sweeping notes of the tune, and take note of what the lyrics say about what was best about our youth.

What matters truly?  What matters for all of us is this very moment that we inhabit together.  How can we let it go to waste?  Yes, it seems that we are born out of time, that we do not feel that we belong anywhere….  We are palpably, alone.  Lost.

Honestly, are not we all running away, everyone rich and poor?  Why not run for home?

I’ve said too much.  Enjoy the song.

Lost Boys And Golden Girls

Lost boys and golden girls, down on the corner and all around the world
Lost boys and golden girls, down on the corner and all round, all around the world

It doesn’t matter where they’re going or wherever they’ve been,
’cause they’ve got one thing in common it’s true
They’ll never let a night like tonight go to waste,
and let me tell you something, neither will you, neither will you

We gotta be fast
We were born out of time, born out of time and alone
And we’ll never be as young as we are right now, running away and running for home,
running for home

[Instrumental]

It doesn’t matter where they’re going or wherever they’ve been,
’cause they’ve got one thing in common it’s true
They’ll never let a night like tonight go to waste,
and let me tell you something, neither will you, neither will you

Lost boys and golden girls, down on the corner and all around the world
Lost boys and golden girls, down on the corner and all around, all around the world