Material world

So much focus in this culture is placed on what you own. Products and advertisements for products are everywhere. Commercials tell us what products are best; which products make us look sexier, feel healthier, get girls/guys easier, the list goes on. As a culture, Americans are obsessed with the material. I cannot say that I am blameless in this aspect, because yes, I buy into the whole birthday/Christmas product explosion too.

What really stinks about this whole culture mindset is that I am a part of it as well. I wish that I could say I wasn't, but I am. As I've mentioned previously, I'm an avid packrat with a bad habit of hoarding my stuff. But I do think that I have acquired at least a certain amount of skepticism towards commercials. My grandfather used to sit down with his kids, my mom among them, and say "Do you know what commercials are? LIES."

And it's true. Commercials tell us that buying this car will make us more successful. Using this shampoo will make us sexier/healthier. Using this acne product will turn us from spotted teens to super attractive supermodels. Buying this lingerie will make us a beast of sexiness. The truth is, what you own doesn't matter half as much as the people you have around you. What you own doesn't matter as much as your religious or spiritual beliefs. What you own doesn't matter as much as what you make of yourself and what you own.

We need to stop thinking that buying this product or that object will make us more successful in life, and focus instead on being all we can be as ourselves. We define ourselves by the things we own when we should be defining ourselves by who we are as a person/sister/daughter/friend/brother/son/father/mother.

I say all this and then go back to living a material life in the hopes that I can change my own habits and persuade others around me to change their habits as well. Getting the newest iPhone doesn't make us cool. Maybe it's a useful piece of technology, but owning it doesn't change who we are. But so much emphasis of the media is used to tell us that what we own is who we are, and so we fall for the same tricks over and over again.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, I know I will. Please take a moment to appreciate the time stamp on this particular posting and wonder to yourself, "WHAT? T.A.D. is posting at 6:37 in the morning???? WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO???"

Actually, if I have that much emphasis on how you think, you should probably take a step away from the computer screen and go enjoy the summer.

Cheers,

-T.A.D.