Georg Simmel over one hundred years ago wrote in his work The Metropolis of Modern Life that the individual for the last two hundred years has resisted being "swallowed up in the social-technological mechanism."  Rather than make universal claims, I'll stick to participant observations. 

For the last six months, I have fought this beast that has lured me in by its promise of happiness, and inevitably I have found myself in the belly of the beast gasping for inspiration. Sunlight is nowhere to be found, and weekdays consist of  unilluminating, gray and dark surroundings. Dreams escape me, and mechanical banality, like clockwork, is unavoidable.

I once found a breath of life in the green grass that prickled the bottom of my sole.  Now all I walk on is pavement- devoid of life completely, soulless. I wear leather shoes that conceal my feet entirely, and my Rainbows are hundreds of miles away.

Solace is found only when I seize to feel at all, of course the weekend, and only what is truly beautiful--and yes that is you.

Some look to their favorite poison to escape reality, to escape the monotony of their own existence. Instead, I sit and mix metaphors and analogies, play with words, and wonder if anyone noticed. I reach towards something else, but am enthralled by the very thorns that give me pleasure and pain. Perhaps reaching in itself is the primordial end that us city dwellers all strive for and the means by which we escape the beast. Yes, again the careful reader will understand the circular nature of this beast, and hence the dilemma.

And now a slience...

A silence that pierces your ears, that makes you deaf, that makes you want to shout and cry out just to shatter it-- shatter it to bits, making it impossible to replicate.

I hate this silence, this placidness, emptiness, void of intrussion. Worse yet is its culprit, regret, and autophobia.

I want noise. I want to hear, to listen, to have an apartment full of whispers, full of life-- to be able to hear the sweet sounds of those you love, to hear their voices, or to just hear them breathe.

I hate it. Yet hope remains that tomorrow there still might be a chance that the silence may be broken. 

There has been much talk about some controversial  statements that Justice Sotomayor has made about her personal history playing a role in her life as a judge.

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” - Sotomayor

As many of you may know, finding a job isn't an easy task these days. Without something to make you stand out from the half million other unemployed people, it's nearly impossible. With so many, e.g., teachers being let go, your kidding yourself if you think you'll be next in line to fill their spot.

Every week I send out a bunch of resumes and individualized cover letters that highlight my unique talents, and in return--if I'm lucky-- I'll get a reply apologyzing for the vast amount of qualified candidates. They omit the part about how much better these "qualified candidates" are.  

After a while, say the last year, it gets pretty depressing (hence the true meaning of an economic depression) and you start doubting whether or not you are as good, at whatever it is you do, as you thought you were. Interestingly, I've noticed that men seem to take it the worst. Men, in many ways historically and culturally determined, are suppossed to be the bread winners, the providers of security. Nonetheless, what's a man suppossed to do when he can't even get a job at Barnes and Noble stakcing books on shelves. With analyst now showing that unemployment rates among men a full 2%+ above women, after a while you may start doubting your self-worth.

But, in line with my New Year's resolution, there's a bright side. With a bunch of indicators of an economic recovery on the horizon, such as unemployment numbers plateuing and the possibility of finally reachig the bottom of this mortgage meltdown with loans begining to reset, there is hope. So what are you to do? What is that one thing that will make you more then just a needle in a haystack.

The truth is, there really aren't any easy solutions and fix-all panaceas. If I had one, I'd be employed at my dream job right now. I do have some advice though. First, you should do all that you can to make that resume impressive. Make it esthetically pleasing, informative and functional. A resume is a quick, yet thorough synopsis of your professional and in some cases academic history. Second, apply everywhere you think your talents might make you a valuable contributor. It doesn't hurt to play a numbers game, even if you think your chances aren't too good at scoring that job. Third, research your employer. It helps to know something about the company, and mentioning it in your cover letter. All your cover letters shoul be individualized. Start off with a basic template, and modify as needed. Fourth, follow up on your submissions. Send a second email reiterating your interest in the company and available position. Don't sound desperate, but rather motivated and interested. And if you get that interview be prepared for it.

However, aside from all of this, you may just need to do some soul searching. The one thing that will make you stand out is if you can demonstrate your passion and drive. You want that person reading that cover letter, and examining your resume to truly believe what you are saying. Nothing will come across as sincere, frankly, if its not a job you want. You have to really-really... want it. That makes things tough. Often times, if you're fresh out of school, you may not really know what you want to do for the next two-three years. You just want a job, to move out of mom and dad's house, and finally have that independence you've been yearning for. Sadly, you won't get a particular job, if you don't know if you really want it.

There is no distance between the natural and the supernatural. Modernity has created this chasm between what is interwoven. Like thought and language, or a heart and lungs, the natural and supernatural are coextensive. The supernatural may seem to many obscure, invisible and superstitious. Though many look deep into the world, either through a microscope or a telescope to find God, they only see the natural. They stare, and gaze, looking at every detail, yet seeing clearly fail to see the supernatural all around them.

All one needs to do is stand back a bit, squint, let the world blur, and like an illusion in a 3 dimensional picture, they'll begin to see the supernatural; even though nothing has changed and the same world stares back at them. 

The supernatural is every where, it's just hidden in plain sight. It's right there in front of you when you watch a sunset, feel the grass in between your toes, and find yourself thinking, feeling and in the world.