The city has a place in our political imagination. We associate it with progress, wealth, civility and modernity. The imagination is so strong that it drives everyone to move from one place to another until the city is reached. The city to some extent has become the imagined community, the imagined place of utopian dream.
In the city, the opportunities to survive are almost endless. The simple formula is to work hard and work smart. Get the work done and all else will pay off. Remember that these opportunities are not to be found outside the city. Remember that you are among the very few who are given the chance to redeem a life within the city. Work for it. Embrace whatever it takes.
If you get tired of working, do not lose hope. The city offers a lifetime of entertainment spree. From street carnival shows, to the middle class-inspired clubs and all the way to the most high-end clothing and cosmetic shops, you can find them all here and only here in the city. If you end up in any of these entertainment sites, spend some from your hard and smart work. Remember the capitalist mantra that there is no such thing as free lunch. Pay for the places and people who entertain you. It is a give-and-take routine after all. You are part of the city after all.
All the work and entertainment too shall pass. But do not even worry. Remember, you are in the city. It will connect you to everyone and anyone else across time and human space. Capitalize on the free digital access it has to offer. Such access does not exist outside the city. In fact, there is no such thing outside the city. Only the city can assure you a life free from solitude.
The city is now one’s territory. You imprint your mark in the city to signify your oneness with it. You must carry some sort of city nationalism by now. After all, it is the city that fuels your desire and existence. Never bother yourself with what and who are outside it. You are blessed. They are not. Remember that you promised yourself not to revisit and return to that old place of yours. Remember that you are now in a desirable state and in a desirable place.
It is fun being in and with the city. The political contradictions in society are finally laid down to rest. Things are getting simpler and way easier. The choices arealso clearer. You can work all day if you want to get paid. Or you can get entertained the whole day so long as you have the capital to survive the next day. Remember that you are not a worker fighting for some inalienable rights. So, give yourself a good deal of break.
Remember the line “enjoy your life to the fullest”? It is now blessed with undisputable sanctity. And, just like your individual liberty of either working or getting entertained, no one can take this line away from you.
In the city, there is equality, and even equity as some would morally argue. Everyone is free to aspire for something. Sure, there is a market value. But this too can be figured out. Just remember how the city trained you to work hard and work smart. Just mind your own agenda and let others do their own. Remember that you are now in the city. You are equal with the rest so long as you do what is expected of you. Never mind them then. Never question a thing.
The city that is imagined is as is. Except for one irony. We do not know the political boundaries of this imagination. Not until we become capable of drawing what is imagined and what is not. Not until we concede that the city we have long been imagining has become the battleground for brutal competition and individuality.
