Doldrums
The itch. It was where trade winds converged, ships were becalmed, and sailors lost their minds.
The word came to me today. If life is a voyage, then time in the US is my doldrums. Stranded, listless, I watch myself go through the motions of a millennial suburbanite. It's equal parts dread and apathy. Meaningless corporate work, fueled only by the fear of layoffs in an 'at-will' state. We know that no protections exist for us; we're one paycheck or medical emergency away from becoming destitute.
Spontaneous travel is a luxury few can afford here. Airfare is obnoxious and fuel prices are insulting. The next big city is still hours away – just another concrete hellscape built for corporations, not people. The green spaces in between are fenced with barbed wire, hundreds of acres reserved for oil or cattle. "Trespassers will be shot." Nowhere to go, nothing to see.
We are all adrift out here, though many are unaware of their predicament. Produce and consume. Nickel and dime. Everything is a commodity.
It's no way to live.