Cars Hiss by my Window

Ever lingered in the shallow end of a crowded swimming pool? I haven't, since my disgust for human proximity set in, but I remember how it was learning swimming in Bangalore. I didn't like the way the water smelled, and was worried I'd cannonball into someone who was as out of control as I was. Anyway, I'd squat in the corner sometimes just to get away from it all, but not quite leave the pool. Dad had paid for my time there - couldn't waste it now, could I?

If you stand still in a pool for sometime, you get the distinct feeling the world is passing you by. Fresh faces jump in, lap around and exit stage left. Soon, you're the only one you can recognize in the mass of flailing limbs and twisting bodies. I'm feeling like that all over again.

I saw a few of my college buddies when I was visiting home a couple of months ago. I couldn't spend too much time with them, but sent them an email with a nod to good times in the past. Guess everyone's busy now, I got no replies to my effusive thoughts. The kid has a lot of good ideas about being nice to people and has convinced me to give it a shot. I called a lot of friends after I got back, and most of them spoke to me at length. Not much has changed in the year that we haven't spoken. But we haven't spoken.

Texting and calling belong to the last decade. Letter writing is a lost art, but when did we stop communicating? What happened to social networking? Twitter, facebook, blogger - weren't they meant to draw us closer? My twitter timelines are flooded with inane observations and retweets. I've blocked nearly everyone after farmville infected facebook. All the blogs I used to read are near dead or comatose. Where is everyone?

I find myself standing waist deep in a stiff current trying not to drift. I haven't read a good book lately, seen movies or partied. I didn't camp all summer.

Where am I?