Home
>
Positive Attitude Tips
>
The Rat Race and Smiling Over Spilt Coffee

The Rat Race and Smiling Over Spilt Coffee

As if choreographed and rehearsed the night before, one lays witness to the rumble of heels, a sea of italian-crafted, waxed, buffed and protected from any Act of God footwear, tap-tap-tapping down the staircase: the mesmerizing beat of the damned.

On cue, all eyes dart to the tunnel, shift to the clock display, and as if mistrusting the red numbers flashing on this digital billboard, raise their watches in unison, tilting their rolex faces on an angle so as to blind the few people who dare to look elsewhere. In a heave of a massive sigh, worthy of destroying all sound barriers, they look down at their footwear and see a blemish. Brandishing their Palm Pilots in one hand, and orchestrating life's events with the wand of bad penmanship, they record their thoughts:

Buy Financial Daily. Shoeshine. Check Stocks. Pretend to look busy. Make ten times as much money as those people doing ten times more work than me. Check Stocks. Remember there's a family waiting at home. Make appearance at dinner table. Go to office room. Check stocks. Kiss X goodnight.

The train jets into the station, a cup of designer coffee dislodges from a hand and dies on the platform. A few grimaces surface here and there, yet their hard, solid shoes maintain their ground. Starched blouses and suit jackets, unmoving and defensive. Only a few hairs swagger out of place, licking the air as if it was their first time breathing oxygen. As quick as these strands taste their forbidden fruit, the fiesta terminates:

Insert after shoeshine: Check hair. Gel hair.

And I, as I examine my own hair, dishevelled and marked with split ends, my hand stained with the stamp from the concert two nights ago, my shirt with the gaping rip in the shoulder from a misfortunate accident with a wire hanger, as well as my own feet, swathed in worn canvas casings a la Payless, I watch them collectively board the commuter vehicle, each person's suit jacket spooning another suit jacket, as anonymously and unemotively as possible.

The conductor tilts his head. "You coming?"

I stand still, watching the occupants of the train, looking off into the distance, as if daring not to blink, daring not to breathe.

"Hey, you! You coming or not?"

"No," I say, jumping right into the puddle of spilt coffee. "I've got other plans."

About The Author

A moderately unhappy graduate of Ryerson University, Connie embraced the world of experience and is now a suffering travel-holic, life lover and raving diarist.

near-sighted@excite.com

Culver prom limo ..

In The News:

An artificial intelligence-powered home security system can fire paintballs and tear gas at trespassers. The camera identifies human faces and animals.

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI is warning the public about a recent phishing scam via text that claims its targets owe money in Pennsylvania for unpaid road toll charges.

Your Apple Music settings may be revealing to your contacts what you're listening to. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the process to change those settings.

The Rat Race and Smiling Over Spilt Coffee

Positive Attitude Tips