The Stalking

There is a dark figure that as been stalking me throughout the years. I first became aware of him sometime in the mid-80s when I began my career in the hitech field. I wouldn't see him every day at first, but as the weeks, months and years passed by, he got became stronger and more prevalent. It got to the point that I had to flee to Ottawa for my sanctity but, like any good stalker, he followed. He reached his true potential in and around 1996, and has been a gifted lurker and a powerful ready-to-pounce force very since. Hell, he even tried followed me to Taiwan, but I had some success dodging him through the complex transit system and the dark back alleys of Taipei. Now that I'm back in Toronto, he is also here. I knew he would be.

Who is he? Who is this menace in my life? I call him The Mundane.

He lives and thrives in the routine of life. He brings death to life. And he's very, very good at what he does. Here's how it works - he lulls you to sleep so all the while you sleepwalk in a haze; a mindless existance fueled by the familar and the safe; an autopilotted life.

Perhaps a typical day in the 'life' of the Mundaned might be...

- alarm clocks goes off the same time each morning, 6:20 - just in time for the 6:25 sports, 6:30 news and the 6:45 'joke of the day'
- it's Tuesday, so porridge for breakfast
- crap, shower, dress and in your car by 7:35,
- you're rushing, you must get on the highway by 7:40, you know there is this magical window where the traffic is quicker, you never understood why but suspect has to do with listeners patterns, newscasts and school drop-offs.
- At 8:12, the daily music mystery oldie quiz is on the car radio and you try to guess the song once again, hoping it's from one of your favourite bands/artists/years. If you're lucky, the song takes you back to another time, another place for about 3 and a half minutes. You wonder for a millisecond, what the hell am I doing in this car, on this highway, and then you snap back into your reality in time for 8:20 business report.
- You say your good mornings as you walk along the neutral-coloured carpeting, putting your stuff in your cubicle, you log on to your terminal. You review your meetings & to-do lists but need your first coffee first. You head to the kitchen and while there, you scan the paper, chat with coworkers about the game, the reality show or latest office rumour.
- In the paper, you see a halarious Dilbert cartoon, you cut it out and paste it on your cubicle door, so everyone can appreciate what an individual you are. You hope no one else pasted the same cartoon in their entrance that day.
- And so the day continues..... just like any other, just like every other.

I get a great view of The Mundane on the bus each and every morning. The look of apathy, quiet shock and disillusionment at every stop. Once in awhile, I see a smile or a sparkle in the eye of someone and wonder - what is she/he doing different? She must be new. She, too, will be assimilated. It's always a contrast when a bunch of students come rolling onto the bus - giggling, laughing, excited and wide-eyed. Sadly, in 5 years, they too will probably become Mundane.

Where does The Mundane live, thrive and breed? It starts with the shopping malls - you know - the GAP, Hallmark Cards shop, the drug store and the food court. Shades of the ordinary. Another hotspot? Try the Casino - the all-you-can-eat-buffets, slots machines and oldies acts like 'KC and the Sunshine Band' who cash in on The Mundane every year. Hell, there's even a bus that will pick you up from your car and take you to the front door of the casino - heavens, if you get any exercise or if the cold air wakes you up. Other staples of The Mundane: TV - especially reality shows, daytime talk shows and the 'speciality' channels; Chain restuarants like the IHOP, Denny's and drive-thru McDonalds; the suburbs with all their cookie-cutter houses and community mailboxes; and the mothership of 'em all - Walmart.

Always the same... all predictable... no risk... no surprises... no life.

Reminds me of an old joke: Everyone sitting in an auditoruim chanting in unison - 'We are all individuals .... We are all individuals' Suddenly, one guy pops up and says 'I'm not!'

So, is this mundaneness what life is all about? Is it supposed to be this way? Is this why we're all here? Routine, convenience and comfort? What about individualism? What about UNpredictability? What about colour? Risks? Life? Death?

I have been raised and reared by The Mundane. I, too, have been assimilated. But once in awhile, I do wake up. Once in awhile, I do see a bright red or neon blue or a beautiful purple. I feel ALIVE and EXCITED. I see my potential. I see our potential.

But the next day, I see grey again. Sigh.

Somebody please wake me.