flick the switch

The population may tip the scales at some gargantuan number, but there will always be a corner of the earth with a community of folks few and far between, dust and old cars taking up the remainder of space, oblivious to anything beyond the barbershop gossip. People come and go and are replaced by similarly dynamic, zestful and straight, narrow types. To think that no matter where you are, you'll never quite grasp whatever that head count may be because your eyes are limited to the crowd before you, your near vicinity. Basically, there isn't a moment where you can see all 7 billion people in one panoramic shot. If we did, it'd be like a look into a crystal ball to witness the noose that is tightening in its grip, tug by tug, one unwanted, neglected child after another. The sheer weight of the human condition is enormous and would make your head explode, but still pales in comparison to a universe that can flick the switch between breath and oblivion. The city can have the same effect--some are better off knowing everyone by first name.