All the lonely people, where do they come from?

These lines from Eleanor Rigby came to mind as I sat on the bus yesterday. I think that people in the big city may be some of the loneliness people around. They all claim that they live in the city because they like human contact, but their actions don't show that. They put shopping bags on the seats next to them so no one will talk to them. They wear headphones so they have an excuse not to listen to what other people have to say. They walk with a purpose so no one will stop them. Sometimes, people even react to eye contact like it's a slap in the face.

Yet they still look empty and sad as they gaze fixedly out the window.

I am just as guilty of it, and sometimes cringe when I think of what the city has done to me. I no longer look people in the face when I walk by like I did back home, searching for a smile or some sign of recognition or interest. I get antsy when strangers start conversations with me.

I sometimes wonder how we meet new people in the city. Alcohol really does seem to be the only way that we feel comfortable to approach one another-- and usually our motivations are a little skewed by that point. I also wonder how the very same people who stay enclosed in their personal bubble the second they enter the public realm can be the very same people who go online in part of their search for contact. The real world is right outside our door, yet we choose to stay enclosed most of the time, whether by our headphones or in our apartments.