11/30/2008

It's not having what you want...

It's wanting what you've got.

Words of wisdom from Sheryl Crow (Soak Up the Sun).  And they're so very correct.  I'm having a hard time lately remembering exactly how to be satisfied.  Right now, it feels like my wants and the failings I see in the world are just taking over. 
I'm angry at people for having their priorities so messed up and for overconsuming everything from houses to energy to food. 
I'm angry at the government for wasting our tax dollars on programs that don't work and on frivolous items ($600 toilet seats anyone?). 
It also bothers me that our election results anymore are predicted by the amount of advertising dollars the candidate spends.  Does a millionaire really know how the average people in America live?  Do they have the same values? 
I'm angry at the FDA.  Can we really trust an agency who establishes a safe level of malamine in infant formula?  I don't care how small the amount is, chemicals like that are not safe for our children.

And because of the dissatisfaction I'm feeling about the world-in-general, I want to run away.  I want to go live in the middle of nowhere, with lots of property, a few chickens, and some goats.  I want to be far away from everything and everyone.  I want my children to not rely on electronic gadgets for entertainment, to enjoy playing outside, to love to read books.

I also know that running away isn't a good way to solve problems.  Like Ghandi said, you must be the change you wish to see in the world.  I can't exactly be a good role model if I'm a hermit...  And despite the problems I see in the word, I do not have a bad life.   I love my house, our little piece of property, my job, and my friends.  I have plenty of good, healthy food and clothes to wear.  I have enough time to sit back and enjoy life.  I can live my life by my values and not get sucked into the consumer culture followed by far too many.

I need to remember that I have all the important things that I want.  The rest would just be icing on the cake.  And I usually scrape most of the icing off anyways; it's too sweet.  The cake by itself it just fine for me.

1 comment:

Lotta Dahl said...

Seems like you and I have a lot in common. I'm disgusted with consumerism. I hate that children are raised by XboX 360 and are shoveled full of nothing but junk. I am frustrated witht eh out of whack priorities I see all around me to where having an expensive purse and a touch screen phone are more important than diapers and food. Living in Navy housing over the years I have noticed the things that bother me more and more and more. Maybe they are to this EXTREME everywhere... I don't know. But I see everything here like it's 10X to the excess and I can't wait to go. Neglegent, self absorbed, look-at-me-and-what-I've-got parents just breed more like themselves but worse. *sigh* but you can't really do anything but try to raise your own so they can create SOME sort of balance between the forces of good and evil. LOL.