Adapting to modernity but longing for simplicity

The stale, heated air dries my skin and nasal passages, suffocating me and compelling me to open my bedroom window. I'm met with the piercing wail of sirens, the rumble of garbage trucks, the angry shouts of people in the streets, and the incessant drone of traffic and construction.

This chaos makes me yearn for the sounds of monkeys howling at dawn and dusk, the calls of the Kiskadees, and the buzz of the cicadas.

I’m craving the simplicity of living outside without the need for air conditioning. Just the gentle hum of a fan above is all that’s needed.

I’ve chosen to be in New York City. I love the anonymity, the humanity, the productive energy, and the feeling that I’m not alone on this planet. Every person, like an ant, carries a bit of leaf. As humans, we adapt to modernity.

But is this progress?