City Life

The city can be a formidable place for a whole list of reasons. the pace the frenetic life style the crush of humanity the danger of being injured in traffic or by walking into the wrong pub. The most damaging aspect of living in a big city is the loss of identity the loss of connection to others around you the confusion as to your own identity in the myriad identities around you and in your absorption to be, one of them.
From waking to going to sleep we are constantly changing our identity as we role play the circumstance we find ourselves in. From a husband/father having breakfast with the family to the commuter on the train or bus to the face we put on when we enter the office to the one we display after work in a pub.  Chameleon like, we change, and in part that change is due to the influence of images which are posted in our everyday life, on the TV or the advertising hoarding. Images of success and what it takes not only to be successful but also accepted by a particular group, the group you wish to belong to at that particular moment.
Where is the real self in all this competition. Dare we display our real feelings or shall we constrain ourselves to the politically correct view. Will being an outsider damage our chances of acceptance within management and socially. There are so many pressures in the city to conform and yet at other times, to be a none conformist, a trend setter, an eye catcher. Pity the dull grey man sitting in the corner but be aware of what you say in a crowd might get back to hurt you.
And so we move throughout our day, carefully stepping on the stepping stones, afraid a false step will not only give us a ducking but that we may never make it to the shore !!