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How The Media Makes You Wish You Were Somewhere Else
Why “here” and “now” is never good enough
I wandered through a strange city alone on the other side of the world.
A loudspeaker droned on, as the Quran was repeated time and time again to signal the beginning of Ramadan. To me, this was nothing more than an annoyance.
My day had been ruined, or so I thought. My smartphone lay smashed to pieces in my hostel room, the result of a careless accident stepping off a train.
I walked quickly in a tunnel vision of rage and frustration created by my own mind, ignoring my surroundings completely. Without access to Instagram or even my camera, there was no possibility of taking photos.
After 30 minutes of strolling without direction, it became clear to me that I was completely lost. 30 minutes became 1 hour. Then 1 hour became 2.
I suddenly noticed that a smile had crept upon my face. Ideas came rushing into my mind. Interesting ideas. Creative ideas.
I began to notice the environment around me; what an interesting city! The droning of the Quran over the loudspeaker had lost it annoyance, it transformed into something soothing, hypnotising, spiritual. The sun had begun setting behind the horizon turning the sky a a mixture of orange and…
