Vibe

__I Heart the Vibe __ There is life in the places we live; it is generated by the people themselves as if they were the very cells of an organism, allowing it to emit a vibe that is truly living. Exactly what it is that separates a living place from one that is dead has until now remained vague and ignored by the populace. This is a shocking oversight, seeing as it has been a part of our culture since man first dared to call one place his home. For example, Ovid is said to have described Rome as bursting with energy and inspiring envy and hatred to those who did not taste its sweet life, he said that when the chariot races began the people seemed to blend into one vivacious life form. His words rang almost clairvoyantly true as the Roman Empire was eventually overcome by a combination of attacks by smaller surrounding tribes. Incidentally they were not nearly as much of a shining utopia of life that Rome seemed to be and thus lacked the vibe that inspired happiness and contentment in the citizens. Nowadays, although they are not at war, these places dead and alive still exist. They are scattered across the world with little prejudice to terrain, it seems the life of a city can sprout wherever it may. Inevitably surrounding these fountains are the humdrum boondocks of suburbia. Before the point advances it is important to note that tall buildings and bustling streets that generally produce an energetic vibe are not needed to create life, but merely a certain character that inspires happiness. For example Detroit is bustling and busy but many parts of it are not regarded as happy places to live. Conversely little fishing colonies in Ireland are some of the quietest places on earth but at the same time have a certain class that for the most part generates that peacefully content vibe that anchors its inhabitants to satisfaction. The true nature of the boondocks is the realization of its people that living in such a place is not enough for them. As humans we long to jump to the bandwagon and be on the winning team. There is a literal franchise where shirt companies make a killing selling shirts that need only say “I Heart New York,” but in truth most of New York is poor and has issues with crime. What the buyers of these shirts really love is the vibe generated by the pulsing heart of the city, with flashing lights, big colorful buildings and energetic people it is like being inside a Seuss book. Unfortunately wearing a shirt that reads “I Heart the Vibe” could be perceived as slightly odd. As history tells us wherever there is the living there is also the dead. Where there is New York there are loads of places on the opposite end of the spectrum. A prime example of this would be almost every single town in the state of New Hampshire. Although in the Northern part of the state there are places that exude beautiful character, the same cannot be said for the South. Any person who claims to be proud of being from Southern New Hampshire is simply too embarrassed to admit how much it truly sucks. Again before the point advances it must be duly noted how much this region sucks. The vibe that it puts out is pathetic; it just does not have that greatness to tether its inhabitants to a content state of mind, even through my own experience I can attest to the positive vibe of some places while also noticing the lack there of in my own backyard. There is no evidence of someone retiring and moving to Manchester to live out the remainder of their years, a more fitting place for this would be anywhere with the vibe. Carrying on Ovid’s description of the life of cities it is safe to say that if one man is happy; his neighbor hates him for it. What has happened to us as a species is that we have mistaken the pain brought about by jealousy as hatred for our fellow man. Since when did the man who worked hard and got a Harvard degree deserve to be hated, this man absolutely deserves to live amongst the vibe and be happy for it. Unfortunately in our own minds we can do know wrong so the pain of knowing that you did not do as well as others is taken off your shoulders and placed on his as if he took happiness from you. The reality is that there is no reason preventing both people from being happy, and the person who has not yet found it must keep chasing that vibe, as we all must until eventually it is found.