Where Do You Live?

Which part of this very big city you live in? I want the name of the locality and your address. I am not a policeman nor a delivery guy.   I am not a Tax or Collection agent. I am not a pesky marketeer who wants you to buy something you don’t need. I am not a stalker. I do not want to take you on a date. I am just your friend and want to chat with you anything under the sun and for that, I need to know where do you live.

This city has four localities.




First is the downtown area. You see tall skyscrapers and plush restaurants here. You need to be successful to live in this part of the town financially. Your lifestyle will be envied by all. You will occasionally feature on page 3 of the tabloids. Your are the performers.  You will be in the news for any reason. You will have many followers on social media. But deep inside your house, you can be lonely. Some residents though may be happy and make efforts to give it back to society. But you will have to guard your walls with false or real facades either way just to avoid your life to be judged by the voyeurs and strangers. Maybe you will have a few good friends but most of the time you will be too busy to connect with them. Some residents live beyond their means. Some are there just there because of peer pressure. You move and shake things happening in the city. Some of you are leaders and administrators. You are the one who drives industry, commerce, philanthropy, and all things that matter. You may have reached here due to your own capabilities or simple destiny or inheritance or wrong deeds.

Then the city has a big metro area of mixed background speed across the downtown. If you live here you are an aspirational person. You envy every 'like' on your so-called 'friend's social media account. You work very hard to enjoy a big house paying emis, have a great vacation, send your children to the most prestigious schools. And you need to post every development involving these on social media You try to create your own false self-image online or in-person. Even here you try to create a facade to help yourself feel good.   You have friends but you remain to be judgemental about them or fear yourselves to be judged by them. You never are happy with anything. Your family life has very unresolved facets like expectations, grudges, or resentment. You never thank anybody for anything. You remain in the profession out of monetary gains and financial compulsions. You see a movie just to be able to discuss it socially. You attend a classical music festival to tell this to your friends. You are the consumer and thus the backbone of the economy. 

The third part of the city is the notorious slum area. You have to thing 24by 7 about survival here. You do all kinds of essential jobs and are underpaid for doing them. You are the first victim of any calamity be it pandemic, war, terror, or natural causes like flood and famine. You live together with your family and friends and face all the odds together helping each other. Some of you are aspirational to get out of this locality through knowledge and passion. Most of you have some vices to help you cope up with your difficulties. You face violence all around you even within our house or neighbors. You are the foot soldiers and drive the economy. 

Then finally there is one small neighborhood or suburb that is elegant. If you live here you enjoy everything that is beautiful in this universe be it music, be it sports, be it literature, travel or anything. You live for happiness. You enjoy your profession and thus excel in it and earn money and recognition. You innovate and create new things. You spend a good time with your friends enjoying each other's success. You support them after failures. You also face calamities and challenges but you take this positively. You may or may not be famous but you definitely respect others and are respected by others. You are happy inside your house and with your family.  You sometimes may not achieve things commensurate with your abilities but that does not affect your self-belief.  You still enjoy things around you and strive towards excellence. You enjoy small things in life and have very few regrets. You are the pillars of the economy based on your professional contributions as most organizations are run by these first handers (in Ayn Rand terms) This may not be a very prestigious locality but despite being small it has space for everybody living here.

This city has a name. Its called your Mind. It matters where you live out of these four regions of your mind. I wish the celebrity who committed suicide had shifted from Downtown to the elegant suburb. I wish there was no pandemic which has compelled many to live in the slum area. Wish those living on social media slow down and try moving from the metro area to the elegant suburb. But then I am publishing this map on social media itself. It can be a good tool used wisely.  

Going for an address change?