today

I have been troubled by this graffiti for some weeks. It irritates and saddens me in turn. Not only because the observation is somehow superfluous, and not only because there is a self satisfied quality to it. Perhaps because there is something deadeningly predictable in exactly this type of naive and idealistic comment being freshly sprayed on the walls of urban buildings each summertime. Do we need reminding that there are no ordinary moments? What have we done to deserve such ugly yellow lettering? If no moment is ordinary, and they are all extraordinary, where does that leave us? ... back in the repetitive, relentless parade of one moment after another, undifferentiated apart from the annoyingly bright observation that it is up to us to make them somehow 'special'.