This past week has been rife with stories of the horrible nature of a generation of people in America, with much more subtle ones of the heroism of stangers during this time. It scares me that people would walk around and over the body of a dying, older man, having a heart attack, to get to a sale. Or pepper spraying the crush of madly involved shoppers looking for a deal that saved $20 or so. Crushing into a place, shoving people, madly looking for bargains.
This is not people looking for food to keep their families alive. Or a job that will keep their loved ones intact. It's the insane chase for a bargain, for more crap that people don't need to survive, and a HORRIBLE example at how far some people have devolved from the sensitivity of their fellow man. I HATE shopping, on my best day. Yet I know quite a few unhappy people who live for that chase, grab, fight, pull, argue, to get that bargain for someone who may use it a few times, then it's on to the next new thing.
Sometimes I wonder why I connect so much with the past, learn all the ways our ancestors survived, still use a wood stove, cut my firewood, design my home in efficient ways, troll the antique places for purchases, still sew my own things. Then I see this, and it's sad and wrong on SO many levels. When our children get a little older, of course they're influenced by what their friends have, and advertising. But really. What have we taught them? Can they survive, for a day or more, without modern technology? What have people learned about their actual needs, as opposed to their wants and status?
I've been embarrassed by some American trends in the past, such as deifying celebrities without merit, but this is the worst. Yes, I have strong opinons on how these people got to this form of addiction, but they are my personal opinons, and the ones I stick to with my family. I don't know what the answer is, but I'd suggest better parenting for a start, and teaching children real history, real need, and how to understand the dangers of addictions. 25 years ago, I witnessed how parents handled the situations when their children were caught breaking just the minor rules of human decency. They became outraged at the forces that had challenged, the right to this behavior, became litiginous. There are ways to change things, but not by saying whatever your progeny does in public is their right, without purpose, IMHO. Cover your ass, don't swear, don't act a fool in PUBLIC. Same goes for drinking too much, right? What anyone does in private is completely their business, as long as the innocent aren't harmed. I just want a more understanding, peaceful world. Sorry for my :soapbox:
This is not people looking for food to keep their families alive. Or a job that will keep their loved ones intact. It's the insane chase for a bargain, for more crap that people don't need to survive, and a HORRIBLE example at how far some people have devolved from the sensitivity of their fellow man. I HATE shopping, on my best day. Yet I know quite a few unhappy people who live for that chase, grab, fight, pull, argue, to get that bargain for someone who may use it a few times, then it's on to the next new thing.
Sometimes I wonder why I connect so much with the past, learn all the ways our ancestors survived, still use a wood stove, cut my firewood, design my home in efficient ways, troll the antique places for purchases, still sew my own things. Then I see this, and it's sad and wrong on SO many levels. When our children get a little older, of course they're influenced by what their friends have, and advertising. But really. What have we taught them? Can they survive, for a day or more, without modern technology? What have people learned about their actual needs, as opposed to their wants and status?
I've been embarrassed by some American trends in the past, such as deifying celebrities without merit, but this is the worst. Yes, I have strong opinons on how these people got to this form of addiction, but they are my personal opinons, and the ones I stick to with my family. I don't know what the answer is, but I'd suggest better parenting for a start, and teaching children real history, real need, and how to understand the dangers of addictions. 25 years ago, I witnessed how parents handled the situations when their children were caught breaking just the minor rules of human decency. They became outraged at the forces that had challenged, the right to this behavior, became litiginous. There are ways to change things, but not by saying whatever your progeny does in public is their right, without purpose, IMHO. Cover your ass, don't swear, don't act a fool in PUBLIC. Same goes for drinking too much, right? What anyone does in private is completely their business, as long as the innocent aren't harmed. I just want a more understanding, peaceful world. Sorry for my :soapbox:
awprint: RUBY Imagine yourself doing What you love and loving What you do, Being happy From the inside Out, experiencing your Dreams wide awake, 
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