i was supposed to go on a little hudson river boat trip today, but the trip was cancelled because the boat broke down.
which is ok, it just means i can go back into my studio and work more.
but it reminded me of when i lived in the suburbs and things were always breaking.
cars and lawnmowers and houses and etc.
i think that one of the key differences between suburband/rural living and urban living is that in the city we don’t have to spend much time fixing things.
we take taxis, so someone else worries about insurance and maintenance and broken engines and flat tires.
we live in apartments, so someone else worries about boilers and roofs and etc.
we don’t have lawns, so there are no lawns to mow or lawnmowers to repair.
and so on.
so, seeing as they don’t have much to really worry about, why are urban dwellers so neurotic?
maybe because everyone in the suburbs is emotionally exhausted from fixing and maintaining things and commuting and being stuck in traffic?
perhaps urban dwellers have a bit too much free time to worry about themselves and their existential angst?
i mean, if you live in the suburbs and you spend 3 hours a day in your car and your car needs work and the lawnmower’s broken and the house needs a new roof and the driveway needs repaving and the storm windows need to be put in and the leaves need to be raked and etc, well, when do you have time to focus on yourself and your existential dread?
i have to say, although being an urban dweller with a surfeit of time in which to focus on existential angst might have it’s downsides, i really don’t miss being at the mercy of internal combustion engines that are always breaking down and needing maintenance.
call me an adolescent, but i love the fact that the internal combustion engines in my life(i.e-taxis, subways, etc)are looked after by people other than me.
when i lived in the suburbs and had to take my broken-ass car to the repair place it was always the low point of my day/week/month/life.
because:
a-i had no idea what was wrong
b-i knew that the repair people were taking advantage of my utter ignorance
c-when your car breaks down in the suburbs you’re stuck
i love not driving.
i love not mowing lawns.
i love not sitting in traffic.
sorry to be obnoxious and adolescent, but i love new york.
-moby
