What’s so funny ‘bout peace, love and understanding…
You know, it’s strange when I think about all of the strife and unrest in the world today. Where does it come from? Is it the war in the middle-east? Is it global warming, inflation, AIDS, the homeless, saving the rain forests, etc.? I think that the world at large is unhappy because of “stuff”. Keeping up with the Jones’, if you will. We seem to be consumed with the idea of more stuff. iPod’s, hybrid cars, faster computers, eco-friendly toilet paper. The list goes on and on. Marketing seems to be crammed down our throat every second of every day. Commercials for new and improved this or that are battering us every time we turn on the T.V. A half-hour sitcom is actually only 22 minutes with 8 minutes spent on commercials. Drive down Blackstone and see how many billboards you can count in one mile. It’s staggering the amount of money that companies spend each year on advertising alone. I think that we, as American’s, have lost sight of what life is all about. With so many people telling us how we should live and what to buy, it becomes very easy to get lost. A few nights ago, when we had the heavy rain, I heard another instructor in the Ed Room say that it would be terrible if we lost power for a while because everyone one would be forced to read or interact instead of just watch the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars or Survivor. It made me think about my kids and how they struggle to entertain themselves. My daughter, for a long time, was unable to entertain herself. She wanted someone to show her how to play with a toy and then watch them do it instead of doing it herself. She’s now cleared that hurdle, but it’s a sign of the times that we’d rather be non-interactive in our entertainment and dealings with others. We should just “unplug” for a while and talk to those around us. When is the last time you really talked with your kids, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters or friends? Or is your life like mine: every interaction is centered on going here or there, seeing a movie, playing laser tag, visitations, etc.? I know that I’m sounding awful preachy here, but think for a minute: do you spend more time in non-interactive activities? If you answered yes (as I did), maybe it’s time to reevaluate our priorities. When your days are through, what will you remember about your life? Countless movies, text messages, iPod downloads and ‘Net surfing? I know that’s where I am right now and it’s time for me/us to get it right. I’m not talking about “going off the grid” and moving to the wilderness but maybe we could all slow down, just for a minute and smell the roses. Call your parents or your kids and just talk. Not make plans, not clear up business, just talk. Maybe we all could stand a little more peace, love and understanding.
posted by Craig W. Judd at 11:26 AM
5 Comments:
Mr. Judd, I think that this is a fantastic topic, and I'm glad that someone that actually thinks about this. The world is becoming a place of lost individuality. Often times when out and about I just observe. It seems that most people are caught up in their digital devices. Stories of computer games flow effortlessly out of the mouth of a pale faced teenager, after he looks up from his cell phone. XBOX, Playstation, Digital Cable. Almost nothing seems to be important anymore except for the latest download or video game. The parks are more empty with each passing technological advancement. Think about this, how many people can you never reach over the telephone, but you can reach on MySpace. It's apparent that society is placing less and less emphasis on personal interaction, and more on we want your money. That's why these gadgets are getting so popular, they cost money. "He who dies with the most toys wins" Right? Wrong. "He who dies with the most toys just dies lonely." Friends are friends as much anymore, Sunday afternoon football games have been replaced with Sunday matinees, restaurant lunch and the highest rated television shows in the evening. Technology is great, but people are greater, each person has a story, and that story isn't a rerun or to many characters to transmit.
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Chris Christopherson
The world is faced with many problems that people seem to care less about because as a culture we have been tought to just mind your own business and let the people in charge take care of it. Well just recently I have been asking myself the big question, am I spending enough time with my kids and have i put aside the time to sit and talk, or better yet just sit and listen to them. When I sat down and thought about if I was doing the right thing, it became clear to me that school, work and homework was making my family life very very bad, but what can I do? I go to school in the morning and leave school to only start work a half an hour later and then work until 8:30PM, drive an hour to get home, eat and do homework for two to three hours, just to do it four nights a week. The world seems bad at times, but life and times has it's reasons, so live and learn my Dad always told me, so that's what I will do and maybe my kids will go to college when they graduate High School and do better then me and not have to go back to school with a bunch of young whipper snappers thirty years after I graduated High School.
Peace Out.....
Karen S.
It seems like our world gets more like a world that is so busy. Like you said with marketing ads, and new technologies. When I was growing up we didn't have any of these luxuries. I got introduced to computers in junior high school, and further more in high school with computer classes. It is not good when we are so busy and unhappy society. We need to go to the mountains to escape all this mess, but it would still be here when we get back. My mom now has a cell phone which she doesn't use very much and if she has a problem with it she asks me about it. Now my sister's kids have all the new technology that is out there. I just don't understand why she doesn't want to learn the computer. I wish our world was peaceful.
~annie
WOW...Mr.Judd...another great blog as it seems...soo mushy though...but I did enjoy reading it...Yes..it is kind of true about the kids these days...they so don't know how to entertain themselves...I have two lil' ones...5 & 7...and it seems as if they are always bored although I buy them the latest toys, gadgets, stuff that I always say after the fact that I bought it...dammit I shouldn't have bought them those things because they end up in the donation box anyways...(in about a month or two) after I've realized that they don't even care for it anymore...I remembered when I was their age and boy I can tell you that I didn't have half the things they had and I had a blast...I can play with insects and a magnifying glass and I would be happy...You know what I'm going to cut down T.V. time for my gurls...but going to school at night is kind of hard when I'm not there to regulate them...it's ok because tomorrow is my last day here at S.J.V.C...so you know what that means I will definitley have more time to spend as you would say it...."smelling the roses"....and I so wish the power would go out for a day or two that way we can all realize the psycho need that we've all put ourselves in....LOL....
~annie
That's so real Mr.Judd!
Its like we competing with life itself... when is something better, improved coming out! I want more, I want, I want, I want!
Its all about I now a days. Life is so empty now. Theres little family time, just kick back and chill with friends. Its always about what you have and what you dont have. No communication! Only uneccessary communcation about Material stuff. We was doing damn good with all this new nd improved technology. Yeah, we can strive for better and more, but do we know our limits? How far are we gonna go? How far do we wanna take this? Does it matter? Do we know whts going on in the middle east? Do we know what s happening in our own family? Do you even remember why so stop talking to Aunt Bettie, per say? Its all at myst now, it doesn't really matter. If they don't care why should I? No one seems to go the extra mile now a days, You don't see people extending their hand out to lift the weak when they have fallen, We don't even take the time and energy to point at them and laugh like we use to, we just ignore them and walk right ON them. There is no peace, there is no srive to find peace. Love? What love? It's just another 4 letter word. I still believe in it, I still feel it, give it! But many out there never experieneced it, folks were never there... and Money is the THANG! Understanding, with no communication what is there to understand? I try to be that one person who lives back in the days when morals and values still matter and don't plan on changing... SO WATCH OUT, GABBY'S IN THE HOUSE!
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