The sun sets earlier in the city

It really does. There is not much twilight when you’re surrounded by tall buildings. If you don’t find an open space to enjoy it, you will not get to experience that beautiful amber sunlight that shines on us for a short period of time twice a day. Do not expect to walk in it, because a few steps in the wrong direction and you will find yourself in the shade. The city can be oppressive at times. Some of the best parts of the day are barely present because tall buildings block them from view. These buildings dwarf men – they make you realize that you’re a small part of a large world. That is something we should all recognize, but there is something almost unwholesome about it when the objects doing the dwarfing are big ugly slabs of metal stuffed concrete. There is plenty of beauty in our creations. I won’t deny that we’ve achieved wonders with our architecture, but buildings can be like people. Sometimes you only look skin deep, and they are beautiful. Then you look at what they are doing, and they become ugly. Our buildings are separating us from the, from the sun. Concrete is separating us from the soil, from grass and trees. Lately I even feel separated from the air and breeze. I step out of a climate controlled office onto a sterile but dirty street and I am alternately accosted by exhaust and cigarette smoke. Where is my breath of fresh air? ‘Waiting to exhale’ should have been a movie about industrialization.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love being in the city. There is always something going on in the city. People are creative by nature, so when you’re surrounded by people, you’re surrounded by creativity. If I was an only child, I would blame this feeling on that, but I’m not so I can’t. I want the best of both worlds. I want to keep the energy and creativity that I’m surrounded with, but I also want more raw materials. I want to be able to look out of one window and see the achievements of man and look out the other and see the beauty of untouched nature. I even want a third window where I can see gardens and fountains and manicured lawns – nature tamed.

Do people who have spent their entire lives in the city get the same feeling or is this just the suburban coming out of me? Maybe I just need to spend a day in the woods somewhere.