by PhebaAndThePilgrim » Wed 28 Jun 2006, 09:03:51
Good day from Pheba, from the farm:
Seems to me that both sides are purchasing much more than ever before. Men purchase different items than women. My husband hates buying anything. He is extremely frugal.
I, on the other hand, love stuff, but temper my purchases because of my awareness of higher issues.
I purchase clothing second hand, and just as much other stuff as I can second hand. I own about the same number of shoes as my husband.
His weakness is coats. Being a farmer, that makes sense.
My weakness is books.
My kids are a different story. The son-in-law purchases dollar for dollar, just as much as my daughter. The difference is that she buys a lot of "little stuff", while he buys high dollar items.
There is an old joke: A woman only shops at Wal-Mart for two things; one is shampoo, the other is: "I'll know it when I see it".
I believe there is a great truth behind this joke.
Shopping has become a balm to ease the subconscious awareness of where we are headed.
Shopping is a drug that quiets the sense of "dis-ease" that people are feeling.
The MIchael Moore film, "Bowling for Columbine" contains a scene that I just adore. Moore is interviewing Marilyn Manson to get Manson's opinion on the theory that Manson's music is causing a lot of our violence.
Manson said something that rocked my world. He said (don't quote me, I need to rewatch the film) something to the effect that: The fear feeds the consumption.
I believe the massive consumption nightmare we are involved in comes from fear, plain and simple.
I believe that women are more involved in this emotional pattern than many of them want to admit.
Many men are involved for the same reason.
I volunteer at a local thrift shop that is connected to the local food bank. I do this work in a town that has shipped all of the major industry overseas. There are over 1,000 empty homes sitting in this small town. Present population is about 11 thousand, and the town board is giving 1,000.00 gifts to anybody that moves from out of town into town.
The amount of stuff that still gets donated to our thrift shop is mind boggling. We are not the only thrift shop in town. There is also a shop for the handicapped, and they are ten times larger than we are.
Still, the stuff just keeps pouring in. Clothing, dishes, knick knacks, toys, books, etc. etc. etc.
Our larger town, which is 26 miles away has two Goodwill stores and two Salvation Army stores, just filled to the brim with stuff.
Stuff that is being purchased out of fear and disposed of with no regret.
Maybe the coming Peak OIl scenario won't be a bad thing.
If we can keep from killing each other off, maybe, just maybe, once the smoke clears and the reality settles in, it will be a healing thing.
Who knows.
Pheba, from the farm.