I Know The Future

I'm standing here in my kitchen, attempting to clean up while cooking myself some breakfast . Music's blasting from the “good speakers” in the living room and my laptop's perched on the stove, plugged into the socket above the microwave. I’m having back-and-forth text conversations on my phone while chatting on AIM and my Blackberry IM all at the same time. Am I serious right now? (I pick up the berry, type, put it down. I’m typing at the computer, the cell phone beeps that I have a new message-- I stop, pick it up, and respond. Rinse and repeat.)
Maybe this is why no one has decent social skills anymore... I’m only 22 and I can already see a huge gap between my age group and my 16-year-old little brother’s. There’s a lot more taken for granted these days; trust me I know…
The laptop that I’m using on the kitchen stove is relatively new. A few weeks before I got my mac, my monstrously large Sony laptop’s fan broke, frying my hard drive. I would be fine recovering from that loss alone, but no, my technologically-dependent awakening was not yet over. Within two days of the computer's demise, my iPod decided to crash too. I literally felt like all sense normalcy had deserted me.

My friends make fun of my extensive VHS movie collection because it’s old technology, but what do they expect me to do, throw them all away and get the same movies on DVD because it would be more technologically appropriate? Nah man, not until I’m making Vitamin Water money can I do that kind of frivolous upgrade...
We’re so reliant on all these gadgets, but what happens when they abandon us?! And in a few years, when all the shit we use is combined into one hand-held machine, how can we prevent losing a lifetime of work or suffering from identity theft if we leave our new 'iLife" in the bathroom at the bar?

Here are some haiku to bring you all some computing zen:

Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.

Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.

A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.

Nobody Will Fall 'Cause Everyone Will Be Each Other's Crutches

It had to be perfect.
I kept thinking that I wouldn't start this blog thing until the right idea came to me and I'd know IT WAS TIME. I wanted it to be real and organic, not forced. I wanted it to be dope, but still grounded... kind of like the people I try to keep in my circle.

I wanted to talk about Music. Ask some questions to make you think. Poke holes in Pop Culture. Be on some Jay "I hope you fools choose to listen, I drop jewels, bust it" shit. Maybe spark some Awareness quietly since we so often reject Reality's loud sounds. But life beat me to it, demonstrating that we can only turn the volume down for so long:

A friend of mine lost his mother yesterday. On my subway ride home from work, the concept of mortality lured thoughts into my mind that had previously been hibernating. I realized, or should I say "remembered," that society is structured to make us continuously lose focus of what's really important. We're distracted; should-be priorities get lost in the everyday hustle, causing us to wander off our path. But eventually, although it may often be through a painful experience, Reality is known to swoop back in, take our hand, and guide us back on track. Back to where we need to be.

Death is one of those things. One of those universal memos.

Since my priority in blogging was to have mine secretly serve as a similar, less painful reminder, I figured this first entry was the closest to perfect that I could get. However, if I took it too literally and yesterday's sad event wasn't the right "sign" to start blogging with, then at least I'm comfortable with that fact that the message behind my words comes from a good place.

I don't know if he'll ever read this, but to my good friend, the Sneaker Supervisor: I love you and I'm here if you ever need me.

And to the rest of you: tie your shoelaces and let's start walking. XO