tBlog! - The Must Have-nots

04.17.09 (9:16 am) [edit]

The Must Have-nots

Undoing the mentality of the "must have" product spits in the face of Corporate America's agenda. The conditioning of the "must have" product is but one avenue of manipulation we find ourselves subjected to on a regular basis by Corporate America and all their media subsidiaries.

Every new invention, gadget, and lifestyle altering device was introduced to the public as conveniences. Television, Microwaves, mp3 players, Digital Television were sold to the public under the best terms as possible. They were designed to enhance our lives, making things easier, faster and more fulfilling. Nobody told us that television was addictive and would alienate us from our community, because those kinds of truths never sell televisions.

Over time these lifestyle conveniences were adopted in our every day lives and soon they became a necessity. The open fire became a wood stove which became an electric stove, then a microwave, then a drive thru window at McDonalds. We call this progress. Instant coffee, instant popcorn, microwavable dinners, GPS, The six o'clock news, podcasts, fast food, cell phones. The list goes on and on.

These conveniences are systematically destroying the social rituals that we used to take for granted. By accepting Corporate America's agenda, we are speeding up our society, sacrificing moments of time spent socializing with friends and family, gardening, reading, harvesting, cooking, and most of all, having quiet time to ourselves.

Instead of using the microwave, cook outside. Build a fire-pit if you have the space, start a vegetable garden. Instead of using your dryer, hang your clothes up outside. Ditch the GPS and ask directions. Create and inject some rituals into your daily life that will slow your world down. Leave your cellphone at home the next time you go out and reclaim your time for yourself. Enjoy slow food.

Those "must have" items in your life? They are not life and death necessities. For thousands of years people lived without such nonsense. De-clutter your lifestyles choices and reap the rewards of living simple.�

posted by: tampi (reply)
post date: 04.17.09 (8:27 pm)

anything if misused will have its after effects.and if we didnt have technology could you have posted this where the whole world could view this.its easy to be critical and criticize

posted by: lindy (reply)
post date: 05.14.09 (9:58 am)

Reply to: tampi

Criticizing is one thing, identifying issues and offering solutions or an alternative is another. The author does exactly the latter by offering suggestions on ways to improve quality of life. I often find that people who don't like messages of this nature tend to be resistant to the very conveniences being spoken of here. Then again, just slot me as a hippy.

posted by: tampi (reply)
post date: 05.14.09 (7:41 pm)

Reply to: lindy
in today's age where time and money is important thereby enhancing the quality of life ,as you point out the author was suggesting ways to improve the quality of life.there are people who do have garden's,spending quality time with their family go for outings.today it will be cheaper to cook on gas than wood (environment has less wood).each has its pluses and minuses .then again i am happy that we could have this converse whether you are a hippy or should i add hip as you have an internet connection thank god for that

posted by: lindy (reply)
post date: 05.19.09 (11:40 am)

Reply to: tampi

My Internet connection at home is dialup, if you can believe it! But I work on a zippy T3 connection at work. There's a balance in there somewhere... There are so many ways to peel this onion, in terms of defining quality of life. It is different for each of us. Where one lives dictates just how much de-clutter one can achieve, I think. In the U.S., people going for outings, planting gardens and spending quality time with their families seem to be on the decline, by and large. Such people are becoming the exception, rather than the norm, I think. I have a real problem with people who spout about all the things going wrong in society today and how TV is rotting our kids brains, and yet, they continue to be a part of that, not choosing the harder path of stepping away from it. Perhaps the author's suggestions would come across more palatable if he were sharing examples of what *he* does in his own life rather than directing us to do what he thinks is best? Leading by example carries sincerity, I think.