Cyber Contact And Communication

Before the internet, there's no doubt people were curious about how their exes, one-night stands, could-have-beens or former friends were doing after they'd come and gone from their lives but they didn't have the means to find out without hiring a PI or asking a friend of a friend. There wasn't instant access to someone's day-to-day life. Nowadays, there's frequent trolling of someone's Facebook page, Twitter stream or coincidentally running into someone at the location they just checked-in on Foursquare (that last part is their own fault). I even know folks who get somewhat irritated or annoyed if they log-on to check-up on a former down-low and there are no recent posts; there's an expectation that the "ex" will keep them in the loop with updates. Then the freak out begins: What's up? They not using Facebook anymore? What are they doing? Who are they with?

Room With A View

This is the view from one of my windows. I took this photo for this blog after reading "On Exhibition" in The Summer Double Issue of New York magazine (print edition).


Sometimes I'm an intentional voyeur, other times I stumble upon quite a view. I've seen my neighbor on the toilet; opaque or frosted windows only work if you close them. I looked down upon full frontal male hipster nudity; why he stood facing his bedroom window to dry himself off is beyond me, but judging from what I saw, he's got nothing to be ashamed of. I've witnessed fellow nude and semi-nude chefs in the kitchen. I've caught the eye of residents banished to the windows to smoke. One neighbor slept in, their bed right under their open window. I found myself back at my window periodically, checking if they were alive. If I were a basketball fan, I could've watched the entire NBA playoffs on another neighbor's flat screen TV.