The way we live now...

I borrow the title from Susan Sontag's short story that appeared in The New Yorker several years back. The story was written for a different context - a young man dying of AIDS - so on and so forth. The essence however, was the way their friends behave. "Customary" visits and shows of sympathy, grouping together and putting usual feuds in the back burner for the time being - all for the sake of friendship. Oh really? Not quite. The story upheld utter shallowness and exposed the mockery of modern living without actually making a mockery of it. Call me a cynic, but with Holidays and Christmas bells just ringing, I can't help thinking this.

I am in New York City and the whole day I have spent watching two movies - "The Last Temptation of Chirst" which I saw finally because Martin Scorcese's signature was on it. I did not like it. The second one I had seen before, "Scent of a Woman" which needless to say is watchable many many times. More relevant more apt to "The way we live now"

While flying the shuttle today morning, there was a couple standing in front of me. A middle aged man, pretty round in figure - wearing pants that reached almost over his chest, glasses that made him look like a salesman. And he was behaving like one - that too a cheap one. "What are we getting them? Russel Stover or Walt Whitman? Godiva? Oh my God! Just then my eyes rolled over to take a sneek peek at a Godiva packet peeping out of large Nordstrom bag. Hmm... the argument went on. The man won't stop. "What did they give us last year? A $20 pack. Why are we spending $45 for them." The wife mumbled some explanation and soon realized that it is better not to mess (or it is futile) to explain the male species on domestication beyond a certain point. With a all-too-obvious-you-wont-understand look on the face, she dismissed herself from the chitty-chat to fetch some morning coffee. I was left wondering, early on a sunday morning, which also happens to be Christmas eve, with bag loads full off goodies - where in the world are they going. Friends? Relatives? It did not take a minute to stereotype this couple within the context of archtypal modern day living. It is Christmas time and you have to be with your family giving and receiving gifts - whether you like or not. It is Thanksgiving - you have to eat the turkey. It is Christmas time again - so run around the shopping malls to pick up the sweater for uncle Bob. Oh! big uncle Bob - is becoming bigger every year. Last year he broke our chair, this time I hope he behaves soberly.

I see most of us walk around searching for relatives and friends who are lost for the rest of the year, because Holiday spent alone is crazy. Same as those friends who came to visit the AIDS patient in Sontag's story. You dont like it but we do it because our title is that of a friend. There may be some, however, who have braved each year, and live a bit differently than we live now. For them, it is not the make belief world created by goodies or anything else. It is about the spirit that embodies the happy days spent in the past, and rejoicing what others feel at this time. Looking around I may find one or two. I'll look for them in the same street where Sontag tread and wrote "The way we live now"