How was I convinced?

It is so subtle and underhanded, the whole do as I say, not as I do thing.

And it isn't just the deal with parents and kids, but is actually pervasive in our society as a whole.

Some of it is obvious, like advertisers trying to convince you to buy their stuff. That isn't so much what bothers me, mostly because it is honest and blunt and in your face. Don't get me wrong, there is an entire 'other' topic concerning advertising to children where my opinion is not so cheery, but for now, for this, I can live with that.


What I can't live with are all of the subliminal messages that are fed to us throughout life, which are subtle enough to grab us and take hold without us ever being the wiser.


This relates to work and play and life, keep up with the Joneses, have the latest electronic gizmo or toy, make sure you are eating trendy, reading trendy, watching trendy. Have you seen the new movie? You really have to! Have you tried the new restaurant? Have you bought their new album? And all of that is little stuff, obvious stuff. It truly pisses me off, especially when their is a hidden, subtle judgement that gets passed when you haven't done these things. You can see the look of 'poor you' or worse 'what's wrong with you'. Nothing dammit! I just don't have time to keep up with all the trend (not to mention desire).

On a deeper and more life influencing level, we've had this crap flug at us our entire lives. Not small stuff, not easy to see, but deep things like 'you must own a house', 'you must make good money at your job' (which by the way, is not directed at doing anything with the money, it is JUST about the making money), 'you must own two cars', 'you must have kids and a strong family'.
Now don't get me wrong (it's easy cause I'm one hell of a devil's advocate), some of it I agree with and am into. But not MUST. They are choices that should be recognized as valid either way. What game are we losing if we don't have two cars? Who is ranking human worth by looking at a person's paycheck? Fuck that!

I have too much. That may sound strange, but it is true. I only really use about 10% of it. I sit in one chair, with one laptop while working, but I have a desk set up in another room (that I never use). I have 8 million DVDs, just as many CDs and half as many video games, and I only use a handful of each, if that. I have two cars, but I work at home and my wife is a stay at home, homeschooling mom. What does this mean? It means I have two cars sitting in my driveway all the time.

And so, the time has come to whittle. I have done it before, and my wife is finally okay with whittling as well (she has actually joined me in the simplify kick, if not one upped me), but the kids are having issue. They do love 'stuff' (which is actually the most important reason to proceed).

At the end of the day, you can't take it with you, and when you speak to folks on their way out of life, it was never the stuff that did it for them. It was the love, the joy, the beauty, the fun, the untangible, which ironically is so much more real that the stuff of matter that we cling to and judge our worth by.

Later-E