Talkin' Trash

I remember that dinnertime as a kid would sometimes include references to starving kids in China as a basis for coercion to finish the meal. As an adult, those thoughts now have real meaning, and it is annoying to see people waste food in particular and resources in general.

I have reached the age where I am old enough to own things that wear out, which is quite an odd sensation. So OK, I'll buy the new clothes dryer and trust that the town will recycle the old one like they say it will. There are those that don't care where the old dryer goes, and that's a shame. I'm not saying that you have to be a total organic, know and minimze your carbon footprint, recycle everything in sight, etc. It would just be nice to have some sense of responsibility.

There are also those who will want something new solely because it is new. I guess I can barely understand the occasional new shirt, shoes, wallpaper, or whatever to brighten one's life. I suppose a little treat or reward is understandable, but there are so many people that are just black holes of self-interest whose needs and wants are insatiable, often justified by such offensive and nauseating narcissism as "I deserve it!" ...No, you don't, at least not more than anyone else. You're different, not better, and we're all "special," so none of us are.

Maybe you want to be first because you're a trendsetter. That's fine if you're an affianado, but if you're standing in line to buy an iPhone (seems like a great product, by the way, but maybe not at 5 or 6 Benjamins) so that other people can see that you have an iPhone (or Coach, or Mercedes, etc.), you are empty and won't have anything no matter how many things you have.

Maybe you just like nice things. Everyone does; they're nice things. But most of us know that they're just things, so if it's more than just a very infrequent indulgence and more of a hedonistic attitude and lifestyle, you're just spoiled, shallow, and selfish (This is the part where you typically use some ego defense- and no, I am not jealous, for instance- rather than engage in meaningful introspection.) And if you buy wanted but unneeded things because you can, know that the real nobility lies in not doing it though you can.

Still, if you are materialistic, hedonistic, insecure, or whatever drives you to want so many "things," you have the right and frankly, it's OK with me. Just finish your dinner, shut off the lights, and throw the trash away, or better yet, don't throw it away, because there is no "away" anymore.