Invisible Woman?

I've got some Justin Timberlake tunes blasting in my ear right now, and let me tell you...it is really making me think. Now, I can just picture the grimace on your face, so let me begin by saying that the new JT cd is absolutely smashing. I would suggest you check it out, before you make any rash judgements about my previous statement. The song that started the thought process is titled "Losing My Way". Basically, it's a song about some drug addict, who has lost everything in life, and has "lost his way". It's a no brainer.

Anyways, here are the lyrics that got to me: It is breakin me down, watchin the world spin round, while my dreams fall down. Is anybody out there? It is breakin' me down, no more friends around, and my dreams fall down. Is anybody out there? Can anybody out there hear me, cuz I can't seem to hear myself. Can anybody out there see me, cuz I can't seem to see myself. There's gotta be a heaven somewhere, can you save me from this hell? Can anybody out there feel me, cuz I can't seem to feel myself. Losin my way. Keep losin my way. Keep losin my way, can you help me find my way?"

While these lyrics are not horribly profound, in terms of meaning or prose, they somehow speak to me on a certain level. I think the thing that really gets to me is the fact that it touches on the impersonal nature of the world. I mean, I'm sitting here in the library, in a tiny little cubicle, with five other students around me. I have no idea who these people are. We are separated by the walls of the cubicle; walls that go up over my head, so I have to stand up to see anyone. I could sit here all day, and not hear a single person say my name. No one talks. There is no interaction. I could suffer from some weird instant death, and pass out the desk, and no one would notice me. They would more than likely assume that I was napping. If I took a stroll through the library right now, I could find a number of people sleeping on their desks. It's nothing out of the ordinary. We are all so disconnected from each other, that we don't take time to question anything; we always assume that everything is fine.

I think this lack of interaction is appalling. I mean honestly, it's almost scary. How many people go to this school, and how many do I know on a first name basis? I would estimate that I only know 20 or so people by name. The saddest part is that Facebook, that oh so addictive social tool, accounts for the majority of my knowledge of peoples names, at least in the beginning stages of any friendships. I find that horribly pathetic.

I mean, we would rather Facebook stalk each other than go up and actually introduce ourselves. How odd.

I should admit to something though. I do use Facebook. Not to stalk people though, because frankly that is just pathetic. I have met pretty much everyone on my friends list at least once, so I definitely don't use Facebook as a go-between for learning who people are. I have to know them first, before I add them, even if I met them randomly at the bar, or at a party.
But back to my original rant, about being so invisible to the greater world.

This ties back to (please, don't laugh at my use of pop culture references, it's all I know) an episode of Grey's Anatomy that was on TV recently. Meredith fell off the dock, and it took what seemed like an eternity for people to realize that she was missing. I think it was Addison that made the statement wondering if anyone would notice if she went missing. In this day and age, I think it would take a lot longer for people to realize someone was missing, because of how detached we really are. I don't know my neighbours at all, so they wouldn't notice if I stopped showing up at home. I don't live at home, and only talk to my parents on our ritual Sunday conversations, or randomly on MSN from time to time. I talk to my friends on MSN constantly, so I suppose they might notice a lack of MSNing from me. But even that wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a day or so. They would probably just think I was busy with school work, or something else. The only real way that my absence would be noted was if I didn't show up at work, and I can guarantee the first emotion going through any one's head at that point won't be worry over my whereabouts; anger will run first and foremost at this stage. I'd more than likely be cursed to high heaven for missing a shift.

Anyways, the point of this random rant is that we need to really address this issue of being invisible. I get that people want their privacy today, but I feel that it is coming at the expense of something greater. We don't know each other anymore, we don't connect with each other anymore.

No one out there can feel me, because I definitely don't feel you.

Cheers.