Progress

Living a probverbial stone’s throw from Manhattan I can’t miss the skyline. It’s one of the reasons I live in Hoboken. How many biuldings are more recognizable than the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Rock Center, AmEx? All the rest…I know I recognize more than that but not by name.
Being in the industry I’m in, I can’t miss the new additions to the skyline. I’ve worked in the Time Warner Center, the gaudy yet beautiful twin edifices on the Western portion of Columbus Circle. More seem to pop up everyday. And it’s not limited to Manhattan. Jersey City is sprouting high rises as well. The mix use buildings. Live on the 14th floor, work on the 41st. I could save a lot of time and money with that commute.
But where is it all leading us? Sometimes it feels like I’m looking out at the genesis of city from Blade Runner or Escape from NY. Some future city where people drive hover cars and live on the 101st floor and work on 1001st. Are we out pacing ourselves? In “I, Robot”, the robots began to interpret the three laws as they saw fit. In war, we were unable to spare ourselves. So the machines stepped in and spared us for us, with fewer casualties.
Now, I can talk to my car and it’ll play whatever song I want. MPG’s meet MP3’s—I think that’s the ad campaign. They have a car that can fax me a report of what’s wrong. But I can’t get a Cadillac that won’t rust. You can’t stop progress, that’s what I always say. But what if you should? Is there a point at which we’ve rendered ourselves obsolete? I don’t mean to spell gloom and doom and I don’t imply that we’re headed for Armageddon in my own lifetime. I simply say that we might be sowing the seeds. Buildings soar ever higher. There is little left to discover globally, so we reach to the heavens—the unknown. Yet, weariness in the present abounds. Those in the know removed Pluto as a planet. Now I think it’s back in cuz more bodies were found which share similarities with Pluto and the douche bags looking through the telescope wanted some real recognition.
Don’t ask what my point is on this one. I was walking down Wash Blvd in Jersey City over the weekend and noticed that the new Trump building nearing completion. Last week, I had the chance to stand on top of the Plaza Hotel and look out over Central Park. I could see all the way to Harlem. It was the most serene experience. It had an instant calming effect. Though it might have just been all the old money, because when I turned to my left I could see the TWC and it made me feel competitive. Like I had to strive harder to make more of something for someone. I think progress is a good word for that. I know I can, but I wonder if I should…