Manufactured Soullessness

 

    It should be noted at the outset that the homes in question are all clean, well-kept, and architecturally pleasing to the eye. But they're all ugly, just the same. This is a large subdivision in Jacksonville, one of many in this huge sprawling city. The street names are predictable: Wren, Cooper's Glen, Maserati, Peaceful Lakes, Red Fox Run, etc. Dig a pond by the entrance, and install a lighted fountain in the middle and the prices of the houses go up a few thousand.  Welcome to suburbia-not far away are the strip malls, the shopping centers, the fast food restaurants, car dealerships and malls. Wait, you say, ugly? How so?

No Man Is an Island—Except the Smart Ones Who've Read the Fine Print

 

image generated by Grok AI

I have lately taken to wondering why folks persist in certain customs. Take the habit of greeting one another with "Good morning" or "Hello" as though the words carried some freight of meaning. They do not. They are empty. One might as well bark at the postman or nod at the lamppost; the exchange signifies nothing beyond the fact that two creatures capable of speech have briefly occupied the same patch of air. I have tried omitting the ritual on occasion, and the world did not end, nor did anyone appear noticeably wounded. The sun rose regardless, and the coffee tasted the same. A man might save himself a good deal of breath by simply passing in silence, yet convention demands the performance.