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| Gas woes. |
| 04.29.08 (11:35 am) [edit] |
'I can't believe how expensive gas has become. This is NOT funny anymore!' 'Oh, I know. Isn't it ridiculous?' 'I can't even afford to buy as much food as I usually do!' 'I just spent fifty dollars just to fill up my tank and this is my SMALL car!' (overheard at a local gas station) There are people in the US being impacted adversely by the sharp rise in gas prices. Many folks are having a difficult time making ends meet because of the rise of inflation and the so-called 'necessary downtown,' also known plainly as a recession, despite Bush and Co. adamantly refusing to call it exactly what it is... When the economy plummets, the first things to go are the non-necessary items. So, how much are you paying for cable and Internet again? And how far away is the little corner store? Walking distance? And do you actually NEED what you're buying? Do you ever ask yourself these questions or are you on auto-pilot, only coming out of your stupor long enough to realize that suddenly, you aren't able to do things you used to with the ease that you prefer. Television is NOT a necessity. Cable is NOT a necessity. Internet connectivity is NOT a necessity. And guess what... Cell phones are NOT a necessity. Neither is call waiting, call conferencing, caller ID and call-everything-else that costs more than basic service. Nor is it necessary to DRIVE to every little destination on a whim or spur of the moment. A little planning goes a long way. Stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work means one less reason to take the car out on the weekend. It's not that difficult to buckle down and exercise a little discipline. There are so many little things that can make a difference... like installing ceiling fans, floor fans, window screens, unplugging things from the wall, turning off ghost loads, making sure lights and other non-essential appliances are off... not just when you think of it once in a while, but continually. STOP SHOPPING ALREADY. Good grief, people. Consuming isn't going to fill the bloody void, so just stop trying! It's an extremely temporary quick fix to a much longer term problem. 'AM I HAPPY?' Think for yourselves. Turn off the TV, READ, plant a garden, grow your own food and see how quickly you get good at it, and how fast your garden expands. Even if you have a tiny yard, just plant a few things! Check this out: http://www.fritzhaeg.com/gard... The longer you stay plugged in to the corporate agenda (a subtle, mind-numbing television-utilizing agenda), the longer you remain sheep, swallowing all the crap that's shoveled down your throats by an elite element hell-bent on keeping their pockets padded. Just start over. Simplify your life. You'd be amazed at the fulfillment such a move contains, not to mention the frugality you'd acquire. It's not a difficult thing to start. Just question everything. Do I need this? Why do I want this? Can I buy this used or locally or both? (freecycle.org and craigslist.org free section) But I warn you: Once you do it, you'll never fit in to the stupefying norm that dictates majority societal structure in America today. Now stop complaining and figure out what you can do to alleviate the pressure of rising costs. |
| 17 Comments |
| Again. |
| 04.21.08 (1:33 pm) [edit] |
|
A couple of links led me to places from the past today. I caught up anonymously with a couple of people I once knew to varying degrees. Well, 'caught up' isn't really the right phrase. I breezed through and went back to my present. I'm reminded that people grow and move forward for reasons. Good reasons. And because I feel so strongly about this right now (and hope I continue to), here it is again: The Story of Stuff. |
| 4 Comments |
