"....And We'll Never Be Royals..." --- And Hey - We Don't Wanna Be!

I think the smooth stylings of singer Lorde put it best in her song "Royals"... But for those of you who couldn't wait to see Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walk down the aisle over the weekend and tie the knot in a lavish wedding (that most of us New Yorkers will never be able to afford in our lifetimes) good for you!

According to most studies, Americans don't particularly care much about details of the royal wedding that took place this weekend. Oh - the dress! Oh - the invite list! Oh dear - is Meghan's family going to fair well with this distinguishing transition she is about to embark upon??? Oh my - let's get a good look at her BILLION DOLLAR wedding ring and how her manicure so eloquently matches her stunning energy!!!

...OH PUH-LEASE!!!

Royal wedding overshadows tragic rubble?

Sarcasm aside, most Americans - as per my investigating on social media outlets - feel that there are much more important worldly and national matters to toil over instead of turning on our televisions (hey - does anyone really "turn on the TV" anymore instead of opening their Netflix or Hulu or YouTube?) to see a huge wedding in which we played NO part.

In the past couple of weeks, America has seen more chaos than we need to: mass shootings, one in which 10 people were killed in a horrible school shooting in Texas, a child and teacher killed in a New Jersey bus crash, and right here in New York City our residents - our POOR and STRUGGLING residents - who live in New York City Housing, are living in deplorable, deteriorating conditions that are making children sick!

With the world becoming hateful, violent and scary everywhere you turn, the royal wedding could have been a reprieve from the never ending gloom, doom and depression of reality. A beautiful wedding filled with perfection, poise and elegance can be a diversion - and a sign that there's something good in this mangled world of hatred and bigotry!! Right?

Let's get real! The royal family and their highfalutin lifestyles have no impact on us as a whole. Want to know how to do your makeup like Dutchess Meghan? You can Google that right now and have yourself looking fabulous in NO time!! Want to know how Prince Harry picked out that to-die-for engagement ring? Simple - just save up enough money and by the time you're too old to even want to get married, you'll be able to afford a nice sized rock for your lady!

On the flip side, want to know when city agents  receive your 311 call and will be sending someone to your house to fix that downed tree from last week's storm which totaled your brand new car? HA! Good luck with THAT! 

Want some real financial secrets for climbing your way out of student debt after taking out a huge loan that won't get paid off unless you manage to snag a six-figure-a-year spot in the career of your choice? HA! Dream on!

I honestly don't see how viewing the royal wedding is an "escape from  the real world" -nor do I understand how the nationally televised "distraction" will ease issues such as global tensions and ISIS' plans to carry out more mass shooting/bombings etc. 

Of course, there are celebrity weddings taking place all the time that don't receive the attention of the royal wedding -- since social status and lifestyle completely transforms the newlyweds as they take on new roles within the British family.

There's nothing about a lavish ceremony that effects me personally or screams "If you miss this, it will be a shame!!!" While all of that trash-talk on social media about Meghan's family does reflect what many of us endure in American culture, it's still a soap opera I won't tune in to watch. Yes, we do "crave a different kind of buzz..."!

A Legislation Slightly "Disconnected" From Reality

It was October 2012 and I was enjoying a mild Saturday morning tending to errands around Canarsie. Suddenly, my cell phone chimed with a text message notification from Catherine Rosa, one of my bosses at the Canarsie Courier newspaper.

"Something smells God awful over here - what's going on? I have a headache from the stench and can't even keep my windows open!" her text read. 

It wasn't out of the ordinary for Catherine to text me on the weekends or during the evenings - news leads and breaking stories don't stop when the office is closed. It also wasn't out of the ordinary for Catherine to message me about non-work related topics - our friendship surpassed professional boundaries and we'd sometimes gossip about shoes, clothes and family matters.

However, when it came to the stench she was griping about, I was slightly annoyed, thinking 'It's a silly smell...and it's a weekend morning...What do you want ME to do? Run over to Georgetown and take a picture of the stink lines?'

Suffice it to say, I did not ignore her message or tell her it's Saturday - I'm not "at work" and I have a right to disconnect from my job. Catherine's keen sense of smell, and her ability to sniff out a story,  led to me eventually contacting our local politician Alan Maisel, who also 'works on the weekend' - should an issue should arise. 

We're never disconnected!

When other residents started noticing the foul stench of gasoline in the area over the weekend, a full-blown investigation soon revealed that National Grid's attempt at decommissioning pipes under Paerdegat Basin went awry. Officials discovered that over 1,000 gallons of a non-toxic oily substance was leaking into the basin and had to be contained, then removed over a period of weeks. 

Still, had it not been for staying connected electronically to my boss and my career, I wouldn't have gotten a head start on one of the biggest federal investigation stories I worked on that year.

During my years as a staff reporter and Associate Editor for the Courier, it crossed my mind quite a few times to block out my "professional life" once I went home. Car accident - who cares! House fire down the street - fuggetaboutit!!! I had a right to declare my right for free time. 

Since hearing about a recent proposal that would make it illegal for New York City bosses to contact employees after working hours - called "The-Right-to-Disconnect" bill, I thought about all the nights and weekends spent toiling away at newspaper dealings for which I wasn't being financially compensated.  Sadly, Catherine spent even more time than I did dealing with the paper's operations for no extra pay. In the media business, that's the way we roll and we stay connected because of our passion and commitment to keeping others in-the-know 

As part of the "Right-To-Disconnect" bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilman Rafael Espinal, private companies with more ten employees would have to comply with certain communication rules or face a $250 fine. Sure, they can send a message to their employees - but they wouldn't be allowed to require a response. This fine is supposed to deter bosses from bothering their staff after working hours.

Let's get real! This nonsense bill may apply to limited industries where employees aren't "needed" outside of work hours. "Needed" can refer to inquiries about the office, like - "Sorry to bother you - where are the files you were working on?" or "Can you come in an hour earlier tomorrow?" 

In today's tech-obsessed world, most industries - especially the media, law enforcement and politics - you'll NEVER be disconnected!

When it comes to the media, if something critical breaks at midnight, you can bet your cell phone bill that editors, reporters, bloggers and photographers will be up at all hours of the night cranking headlines, following leads and leaking teasers all over social media.

While the "Right-to-Disconnect" concept is amusing - and a great incentive for low-wage workers to tell their bosses "Go f**k yourself if you think I'm answering that message about why the deep fryer is so dirty" - it's unrealistic to expect high demanding professionals like doctors, law enforcement officials and government employees to cut off communication when they're not in the office. For some professionals, their "office" is everywhere, nowhere and anywhere all at once. 

The major flaw in this bill is that it's being considered for a city that's riddled with non-stop action and people who can never get off their phones - even if they're walking upstairs on a crowded subway, they're glued to their technology! Thanks to social media apps, you can tell the world what you're up to every damned second of the day, so why would ANY company believe you're truly "disconnecting." 

Of course, you have the right to tell everyone when you're....say....in the hospital...or if you have indigestion and you can't sleep...or if you're busy taking a dozen photos of that gourmet cup of coffee from your favorite cafe. You have a right to share your most personal information with your friends and family while ignoring that text from your boss about where the direct deposit slips were relocated in the office.

Professionally, I've moved on to more calming pastures with less emergency situations occurring after hours or during the weekends.  Now, as an administrative assistant for a fashion company in the city, I can't do any physical work or actively help with tasks related to my job/position unless I'm at my desk in the office. 

Even though I wouldn't hesitate to respond to my current boss after hours if he had a quick question about something I was working on in the office, I'm grateful there's no urgency or necessity for me to be connected and "on" 24/7 the way I was required to be in the media world.

It's ironic that a bill of this technological nature would be introduced during an era when everyone is always connected, whether they want to be or not. Or maybe the proposal simply gives New Yorkers an excuse to continue playing that illusive Bedazzled game on their phone non-stop instead of helping their boss once they've clocked out.