To quote one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the 20th century “What is a horseshoe? What does a horseshoe do? Are there any horse socks? Is anybody listening to me?” While “Billy Madison” is far from substantial cinema, the sentiment can ring true at times. Particularly in a time where there are innumerable social platforms from which people can be “heard.”

Naturally people want to be heard. Otherwise there would not be so many channels in which people can be seemingly heard. This is hardly a new development, there are just more options to do so than ever before. Had a bad day? Put it on Facebook. Feeling excited about a new life event? Tweet it! Saw a sunset? Filter it on Instagram. Have a lengthy rant? Get a blog.

But with everyone talking so much, what is being heard? Anything? Anyone? With the endless parade of nonsensical chatter on the internet, sometimes the thoughts and ideas of substance can get lost. Not saying that this particular blog is full of revolutionary thought that all the internet needs to see, but are there important ideas out there we’re all missing in the gigantic pool of narcissism?

You can literally count how much you’ve been heard and how far you’re heard. You can see your particular reach in the stats, figures, graphs, and projections. But just because there is a number in front of you, you’ll never know exactly what, if anything has been noted and retained.

So, is anybody listening to me?

Thus far, with this individual blog, it is clear that the answer is no, no one is listening to me. Shocking. A New York based car service is hardly the place for a blog worth reading. It will surely be all about car things, Uber, the taxi and limousine industry, Lyft, surge pricing, regular pricing, that number 7 one, livery cab legislation, and other uninteresting jargon.

Luckily, Carmel has hired a millennial. This millennial will strive to make a seemingly uninteresting blog, mildly amusing, while still offering you that special Carmel slant.

While I am yet to be heard, I am in the majority. People continue to write their tiniest thoughts to their most detailed manifestos on the internet, whether or not someone reads them. If it is on the internet, it is not completely within themselves, and sometimes that just feels good. I think Facebook must have figured that out, and a whole lot of other things, a long time ago. So, the internet will continue to be a place of catharsis, regardless of readership. And that’s alright, isn’t it?

But really, I think the greater question in all this is, are there horse socks?