big money discourages this type of thought

we are bred to be consumers. our whole world is structured around buying. buy this or buy that. can you buy your salvation? can you buy your soul? can you buy happiness or love? we are told that we must buy food and presents on christmas, flowers and candy on valentines day, we are taught only these things not the real traditions behind our holidays. it is an ugly mockery laughing in our faces while we forget the customs and traditions of our people and replace them with what the big money wants us to think and feel. our gods of the past are now being replaced with shiny gimmicks. we put the bible down and kneel to pray to the almighty dollar. you have to buy a big house to compete with the neighbors, you got to buy a new car to fit in with the coworkers, you got to buy comforters and pillows and tvs and the latest kitchen appliances the oprah book club selections of the month and the latest celebrity gossip magazines. the media teaches us that the things we buy make us who we are. the things we own end up controlling our lives. life is too short to spend it in the pursuit of worthless crap. every new generation loses a little bit of their history, a little bit of themselves. everything is so orderly, neatly organized and politically correct. but this is not truly what life is. life is not what you see on television. don't be fooled. i am what most of you would consider young, but i have already accepted the fact of my own mortality. we are all going to die, it's just part of the cycle, and we all might as well accept it. we all know we are going to die, but accepting death is a completely different thing. death isn't what truly scares us in my opinion. even if we don't realize it the things we haven't done, will never do, regrets we all have, the feeling of having lived a wasted life.. these are the things which truly affect us. but it is never too late to start making your life right. when you die you can't take your big house and your fancy car and all of your petty crap that you spent so much time collecting as if it even matters. when you die the only thing that will be left of you is your memory, how others thought of you, and your actions in life. these are the things which are truly important, not the fake values and goals instilled in you from an early age by the media to get you to devote your entire life to consuming their goods. don't be fooled, the only one who can make your life better is you. not a tv, not clothes, not a car, not your house, not your bank account, not a magazine, not a game show. live your life and love to the fullest and when you leave this world leave a legacy you can be proud of.

Beautifully said.

So it could use a few paragraph breaks, but your sentiments are what counts.

I might not agree with the first part, that we were 'born to buy', to be consumers... Sure, that might be what TPTB want us to be, but, it wasn't why we were created, why we were born...

Thanks for reminding us what life should be all about...

peace

Originally posted by 2weird2live2rare2die
we are bred to be consumers. our whole world is structured around buying. buy this or buy that. can you buy your salvation? can you buy your soul? can you buy happiness or love? we are told that we must buy food and presents on christmas, flowers and candy on valentines day, we are taught only these things not the real traditions behind our holidays. it is an ugly mockery laughing in our faces while we forget the customs and traditions of our people and replace them with what the big money wants us to think and feel. our gods of the past are now being replaced with shiny gimmicks. we put the bible down and kneel to pray to the almighty dollar. you have to buy a big house to compete with the neighbors, you got to buy a new car to fit in with the coworkers, you got to buy comforters and pillows and tvs and the latest kitchen appliances the oprah book club selections of the month and the latest celebrity gossip magazines. the media teaches us that the things we buy make us who we are. the things we own end up controlling our lives. life is too short to spend it in the pursuit of worthless crap. every new generation loses a little bit of their history, a little bit of themselves. everything is so orderly, neatly organized and politically correct. but this is not truly what life is. life is not what you see on television. don't be fooled. i am what most of you would consider young, but i have already accepted the fact of my own mortality. we are all going to die, it's just part of the cycle, and we all might as well accept it. we all know we are going to die, but accepting death is a completely different thing. death isn't what truly scares us in my opinion. even if we don't realize it the things we haven't done, will never do, regrets we all have, the feeling of having lived a wasted life.. these are the things which truly affect us. but it is never too late to start making your life right. when you die you can't take your big house and your fancy car and all of your petty crap that you spent so much time collecting as if it even matters. when you die the only thing that will be left of you is your memory, how others thought of you, and your actions in life. these are the things which are truly important, not the fake values and goals instilled in you from an early age by the media to get you to devote your entire life to consuming their goods. don't be fooled, the only one who can make your life better is you. not a tv, not clothes, not a car, not your house, not your bank account, not a magazine, not a game show. live your life and love to the fullest and when you leave this world leave a legacy you can be proud of.

Hello 2weird2live2rare2die- You are very right. Also going back to giving things. If we are told to give someone something and do not give it to them out of love then it is a negative on yourself. So make sure you give to the person out of love not fear. Just like you said

live your life and love to the fullest and when you leave this world leave a legacy you can be proud of.