Of course I never did get to sit outside and write last night. JUST when I was about to go, it started to rain. Of course! And it rained off and on the rest of the evening. Oh well. There will be more perfect evenings, I'm sure.
So I'm up early this morning. Actually, I've been up since 6:30 for some odd reason; I went to bed around 11:30 last night and figured I'd sleep in. haha. The birds woke me up this morning, and I couldn't get back to sleep. Not that I'm complaining! I wouldn't have slept in much past 8 anyway.
So I'm all packed, except for my slippers. It actually feels like it might be a bit muggy this afternoon because of the rain! I'm not sure I like that, but I'll take springtime over that transition period between winter and spring any day.
There's a rant on the FM Rants board about cell phones. While I agree with the concerns, to a point, I feel I must type in a little rant of my own.
It's not just cell phones. It's not just inattentive drivers. It's not just people putting their makeup on in their cars. It's MODERN DAY AMERICA. We live in a society that has to do twenty things at once, with bells on to show our lesser companions how good we are at multi-tasking. Not only are we innundated with ads and products to make our lives easier and quicker (has anyone seen that Ab-thingy on TV? I mean, puhleeze!!), we have to be super-organized and act more like robots than human beings. Every single day I see people bombarded by so much information that I'm surprised our little brains haven't broken under the strain already. We have to be on all the time, in contact all the time, and where does that leave relaxation? Probably around number 45 on the list of things to do.
Maybe I just don't have the modern mentality, I'm not sure. But I see people my age grasping at things that don't really matter in the big picture of life, like a bigger car, a bigger house... The Jones Syndrome, I think it's called. *g* "Oh, Brian got a new cellphone, and it's only this big. I need one." "Oh, Vivian traded in her car and bought a new one. I need a new car." "Oh, the Joneses have four bedrooms in their house. I need a new house."
You know, I'd be perfectly happy with a little cottage somewhere with a little land so I could have a garden. I don't need a 4000 square foot eight bedroom mansion any more than you do. (Unless, of course, you have seven kids, and then you could talk.) These large houses and large cars and expensive clothes remind me a lot of the excesses of the crinolines in the 1800s. (I think; correct me if I'm wrong) Those contraptions got so large and so cumbersome that they became actual fire hazards, and didn't some ladies die when a church caught on fire and they couldn't fit out the door? One wonders how this modern excessive trend is going to end.
Whatever happened to simplicity? Whatever happened to being happy with what you have and using it wisely? In 1994, I bought a Geo Metro, and I drove it until I sold it to my sister. I plan to drive my truck pretty much forever, life willing. When I paid off my Geo, nearly every single person in my acquaintance wanted me to get a new car. Why? What was wrong with the one I had?
I just don't get this. A new computer comes out, and wham! Everyone on the block has to buy one because it's better than the one they have now. DVD players came out, and gee, everyone had to buy one. Etc., Etc.
(Okay, I'll admit we do own a DVD player. and my next monitor will be a flat screen monitor, but the latter is more for space issues than anything else. I might think something looks cool, but it's highly doubtful I'll go buy anything right when it comes out on the market just because it looks cool.)
The average modern-day American is too impatient, too caught up in consumerism, too far in debt, and unhappy. Yeah, unhappy. If you were truly happy, would you have to one-up your neighbors? Would you have to wear the height of fashion? Would you have to be hooked into "the grid" all day long?
I think part of it is that we don't realize our own importance. Having someone from the office call you while you're in the middle of something else puts us in the spotlight for a moment, gives you something to complain about, and makes you believe you are indispensable to your coworkers. Always being "online" means you're available 24/7 and have no time for yourself. This is a sacrifice, yes, but is it a good one? Is it worth it? When I go to Florida in June, I'm taking the Visor, but there won't be a computer hooked up to the internet in the house. I might check my email once at the library, but even that is doubtful, because I intend to relax, write, spend time with my family, and have a good vacation. Away from it all. *g*
I'm not going to say I'm perfect, by the way. I've talked on the phone while driving, and I'll probably do it again today on my way to Bethel. I've bought things because my friends had them, or done things because other people had done them and I thought they were "cool". But you know what? It didn't take me very long to realize that having everything I ever wanted was not making me happy. In fact, it put me into debt, and for what? I have just about nothing to show for it. Oh, yes, I learned some new skills, and discovered some new authors, but if I boil it all down, it really wasn't worth it.
I'm a fan of budgeting now. I'm a fan of saving money. I'm a fan of having that little cottage with a little land, a wall of used books, and one computer. I'm a fan of simplifying, and I'm recreating my life to reflect that. Maybe you should take a look at your life too. It might be an interesting experiment.
So I'm up early this morning. Actually, I've been up since 6:30 for some odd reason; I went to bed around 11:30 last night and figured I'd sleep in. haha. The birds woke me up this morning, and I couldn't get back to sleep. Not that I'm complaining! I wouldn't have slept in much past 8 anyway.
So I'm all packed, except for my slippers. It actually feels like it might be a bit muggy this afternoon because of the rain! I'm not sure I like that, but I'll take springtime over that transition period between winter and spring any day.
There's a rant on the FM Rants board about cell phones. While I agree with the concerns, to a point, I feel I must type in a little rant of my own.
It's not just cell phones. It's not just inattentive drivers. It's not just people putting their makeup on in their cars. It's MODERN DAY AMERICA. We live in a society that has to do twenty things at once, with bells on to show our lesser companions how good we are at multi-tasking. Not only are we innundated with ads and products to make our lives easier and quicker (has anyone seen that Ab-thingy on TV? I mean, puhleeze!!), we have to be super-organized and act more like robots than human beings. Every single day I see people bombarded by so much information that I'm surprised our little brains haven't broken under the strain already. We have to be on all the time, in contact all the time, and where does that leave relaxation? Probably around number 45 on the list of things to do.
Maybe I just don't have the modern mentality, I'm not sure. But I see people my age grasping at things that don't really matter in the big picture of life, like a bigger car, a bigger house... The Jones Syndrome, I think it's called. *g* "Oh, Brian got a new cellphone, and it's only this big. I need one." "Oh, Vivian traded in her car and bought a new one. I need a new car." "Oh, the Joneses have four bedrooms in their house. I need a new house."
You know, I'd be perfectly happy with a little cottage somewhere with a little land so I could have a garden. I don't need a 4000 square foot eight bedroom mansion any more than you do. (Unless, of course, you have seven kids, and then you could talk.) These large houses and large cars and expensive clothes remind me a lot of the excesses of the crinolines in the 1800s. (I think; correct me if I'm wrong) Those contraptions got so large and so cumbersome that they became actual fire hazards, and didn't some ladies die when a church caught on fire and they couldn't fit out the door? One wonders how this modern excessive trend is going to end.
Whatever happened to simplicity? Whatever happened to being happy with what you have and using it wisely? In 1994, I bought a Geo Metro, and I drove it until I sold it to my sister. I plan to drive my truck pretty much forever, life willing. When I paid off my Geo, nearly every single person in my acquaintance wanted me to get a new car. Why? What was wrong with the one I had?
I just don't get this. A new computer comes out, and wham! Everyone on the block has to buy one because it's better than the one they have now. DVD players came out, and gee, everyone had to buy one. Etc., Etc.
(Okay, I'll admit we do own a DVD player. and my next monitor will be a flat screen monitor, but the latter is more for space issues than anything else. I might think something looks cool, but it's highly doubtful I'll go buy anything right when it comes out on the market just because it looks cool.)
The average modern-day American is too impatient, too caught up in consumerism, too far in debt, and unhappy. Yeah, unhappy. If you were truly happy, would you have to one-up your neighbors? Would you have to wear the height of fashion? Would you have to be hooked into "the grid" all day long?
I think part of it is that we don't realize our own importance. Having someone from the office call you while you're in the middle of something else puts us in the spotlight for a moment, gives you something to complain about, and makes you believe you are indispensable to your coworkers. Always being "online" means you're available 24/7 and have no time for yourself. This is a sacrifice, yes, but is it a good one? Is it worth it? When I go to Florida in June, I'm taking the Visor, but there won't be a computer hooked up to the internet in the house. I might check my email once at the library, but even that is doubtful, because I intend to relax, write, spend time with my family, and have a good vacation. Away from it all. *g*
I'm not going to say I'm perfect, by the way. I've talked on the phone while driving, and I'll probably do it again today on my way to Bethel. I've bought things because my friends had them, or done things because other people had done them and I thought they were "cool". But you know what? It didn't take me very long to realize that having everything I ever wanted was not making me happy. In fact, it put me into debt, and for what? I have just about nothing to show for it. Oh, yes, I learned some new skills, and discovered some new authors, but if I boil it all down, it really wasn't worth it.
I'm a fan of budgeting now. I'm a fan of saving money. I'm a fan of having that little cottage with a little land, a wall of used books, and one computer. I'm a fan of simplifying, and I'm recreating my life to reflect that. Maybe you should take a look at your life too. It might be an interesting experiment.
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