Heidegger, Siddhartha, and Sartre Walk into a Bar
Yesterday wasn't too bad despite Friday's immunizations. I felt run down and sleepy all day, and my body creaked like an old sailing ship1, but otherwise, I was fine. I walked around a lot, taking photos of what's left of the city. Philadelphia reminds me of Manhattan in the late '80s and early '90s, only without all the great contemporary music and art.23
And there's a bad vibe here these days. If you'd asked me ten years ago about the typical disposition of a Philadelphian, I'd say we were brusque but ultimately an amicable people. I'd revise that today. Over the last few years, many have left Philly, only to be replaced by folks fleeing the New York metropolitan area (but not necessarily NYC, per se). I'd now describe us as a sour lot with a bitter aftertaste typical of the privileged who find themselves comfortably displaced but displaced nevertheless.4
I'd like to spend today walking around and taking photographs as well, but I have laundry to fold, the floors need sweeping, and my mother wants help hanging paintings or something. First things first, my stomach has filed a grievance (over what I don't know), and that will have me tied up in court until at least early this afternoon. My weekend is gone in an instant, and it's back to work Monday. In my next life, should I be compelled to come back here once again, I'd like to spend all the days wandering and making art.5 I best put in an application now. Surely, there's a long waitlist for that role.
-
For real, you could hear my ligaments crackling like ropes pulled too taught! ↩︎
-
Sure, we've got plenty of chamber music and at least a half-dozen art galleries scattered throughout the downtown area, but that's not at all what I'm talking about. ↩︎
-
It's not as tall, either, obviously. ↩︎
-
We're approaching equilibrium wherein we're not especially nice, but we're not especially kind, either. ↩︎
-
I don't really believe in reincarnation. And yet, since I was very young, I've had a sense that this is not the first or even second time I've been sent into this reality. I don't feel this to be a unique sentiment on my part. Entire religions are built around the concept, after all. It's a sense or sensation common to our species. Those who freely share experiences in this regard tend to be convinced they once ranked among the great names of history, like Joan of Arc, Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, Ywain the Bastard, and that type of crowd. Me, I've no memory of how I got myself thrown into this predicament of existence, but I'm confident I'm here under duress. ↩︎