With constant
bombardment of information it sometimes becomes difficult to hear our own
breath. We take in the tragic news stories, the pushing of public agendas, the
loud voices in support of social justice and our own mental ramblings.
Walking
into a Target or a Costco or a Rite Aid, further sensory overload can occur at
the realization of there being so much and possibly even too much. Twenty-seven
varieties of toothpaste, options on options of laundry soap and buckets of deep-fried mozzarella cheese
sticks present themselves to the indecisive and those with grasping hands alike.
Messages of what to buy and how to join-up with a society of consumerism,
pop-culture and the need for entertainment to define fun, surround us.
I realize that
some of these observations are generalizations and I also realize the nature of
hypocrisy in my own behavior (how could I be witness to buckets of mozzarella
cheese sticks if I were not a member of the club?).
The pressures of society can favor the players and discard the unskilled. The resisters can become outliers and perhaps even alienated. Jumping into the matrix of any given society and being accepted is perhaps a privilege. Defining personal priorities of what is important can yield peace when paired with a congruent environment. Where is that environment for you?
It is interesting that you are writing about popular culture and too have been thinking about this topic. My parent's were very anti-mainstream culture and raised me without any TV growing up. I rebelled for awhile, and loved TV, but now I don't care for it...and all the ads and consumerism it promotes. Now that I have a son, I wonder how he will turn out. Sometimes I do feel a bit 'out of it' b/c I don't know about the latest terrorist attack or sex scandal, or whatever...but mostly....I feel like life is more peaceful, and not hearing about sensational events which I have no control over, may be better overall.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you bring up the topic of the insanity of choices such as toothpaste, mozzarella sticks, etc. And how if you or I will say I and speak of my own experience try or would like to for the most part live a life that is some what out of the "norm" as potentially deemed by America...I find it hard to think there is a norm. At any rate I believe in eating locally grown produce,animals that were raised humanely and preferrably locally, I do not want my child watching tv and thriving on sugar. However all that stuff surrounds us and it is difficult to stick to what I believe in all scenarios. Because I also like to eat a deep fried mozzarella stick and down a pint of Ben & jerry's. And once in awhile peace out on a movie with my child. It is difficult to keep your child's tv time to a minimum when your main babysitters are your parents (hello they are free & I am not exactly making bank being a grad student) and they both excessively watch tv like 4-5 hours a day. Totally nuts to me who watches at times no tv in a week and at others one movie with my child. I am completely out of touch with the world at large and am pretty damn in touch with my daughter, myself and the land which we live. I suppose that breaks down what is important to me.
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