Consumerism

This blog is coming to you from the parking lot of my local Ikea. Don’t question it -  embrace it as "method writing" in this chapter of Humans are Weird.

I like to look at fashion and take note of what I think are nice outfits, pretty outfits, stylish outfits, trendy, classic and out-there outfits. Sometimes I think I might just care enough to start trying these looks out on myself. I stock up on a few magazines, head to the shops and then recoil in defeat as I realize that every outfit, no matter how simple has 17 components to make it look like the mannequin, and frankly I don’t care enough to get the belt that will go with only that one shirt-dress, the socks that go with only those boots, the hat that I’ll only wear with that one outfit IF and only if, I’m having a super high self-image day. Plus, even if I was super into it all, and I did go for it, where am I going to store everything? I’m on a tangent here, let me get to the title of this week’s entry – consumerism.

New things are pretty – they just are. They’re full of color, power, benefits and a hope for greatness. Admit it, every new thing you buy (on a want basis – we’re not talking needs here) comes with a little tag exclaiming, “buy me and I’ll make you better!”

But why is that? I highly doubt that a new phone is going to make me a better or more successful person than my perfectly functioning albeit 8 month old phone. An iPad isn’t going to get me a promotion or catapult me to fame. A new brown leather purse isn’t going to make me smarter. Yet even as I sit here typing these very words, my brain is fighting itself and thinking how much better I’d feel with each of those things.

Why is this? How did this come to be? I’ve never been a particularly materialistic person yet these past months I’ve found myself traipsing through the malls in search of…something. Hell, I don’t even know what I want; I just want it. It’s an icky feeling. It’s setting yourself up for disappointment every day because that thing you can’t put your finger on – that thing you crave - is never actually going to be the thing that end the craving. I gotta head for the hills and see some nature and breathe some fresh air. That should get me back on track.

Creative Writing.

It's something I both like to do, and in part, get paid to do. So why then have I not written an entry in almost 2 months? The answer: I don't know. Sometimes I have a fleeting moment of inspiration and think, "quick, to the bat cave laptop! Get this out while it's hot!" But I'm usually at work, or shopping, or in the park, or riding my bike, or some other equally inconvenient moment to start typing.

If you've got a spare 17 minutes, give it a read.

For this reason, I have a note in my phone titled Possible Blog Topics that I jot down little thoughts and realizations in for future reference. The problem is, as I sit here, fingers poised over the little white keys, I am not finding humorous inspiration is the tremendous amount of writing contained on a Budweiser can, or why exactly stores need a full address for a simple item return. I don't even remember where the thought, "in your face poor people" came from - surely that was sarcasm, right? I wouldn't have written that down literally.

I started this blog for myself to just get the thoughts out and see how they looked; I didn't even tell anyone about the site for over a year. Now, with 8 whole people following me, I guess the pressure is really mounting and clearly I need to step it up, kick it into gear, dig in, saddle up, roll up my sleeves, get my hand dirty, step up to the plate, give 'er, grab the bull by the horns, go for broke,  etc. etc. etc.