i titled it like a scrubs episode, which i've been watching a lot lately. good stuff! i am moving in two weeks into a two bedroom apartment with my friend and fellow nurse, jen. we had been talking about moving in together for awhile. we used to work together and are both pretty chill and not too anal so i think it will work out. i haven't seen the place yet but she did and i trust her judgement. usually i am the one who will live in any dumpy place so if she says it's cool then i am down. the thing is it's really, really close to a lot of essentials. there is a fred meyer (like safeway that sells clothes and electronics) about two blocks away, really good thai food about 6 blocks away, a couple frequent bus lines two blocks away, dodgeball gym 8 blocks and the 24 hour is 16 blocks away. i can actually walk there...but the bus ride is probably about 4 minutes so i will do that instead. now i have absolutely no excuses!
my room will be a little smaller than jen's room but i think i'll be paying a little less. all i need is a place to sleep and a good kitchen. she says it's got good cabinet space so that is awesome. i'm just excited to be moving in closer to society. right now i am really far from everything and everyone that matters. although i'll need to take two buses to jeremy's place, it'll only be 20 minutes at the most. it's so convenient and for a decent price!! i'm so excited!
this will be portland rental #10. yes, this is the 10th place that i have lived in 5 years. yikes! that is a lot of moving around and packing/unpacking. i am used to it but really what i want to do is get rid of a lot and just have the essentials. i feel like i have a lot of crap that i don't need or use. "the things you own, end up owning you." -fight club, yo. you buy all this stuff and have to haul it around with you and you have to find an apartment/house big enough to keep that stuff. while the monk's life with just a robe and a bowl is not as far as i want to go, i certainly don't want to be weighed down by unnecessary belongings. the less i have, the less i have to worry about. but i am an american consumer and that is engrained into my being, so i do like a trip out to ikea every now and then. i tell myself i NEED that new ____. it doesn't even matter if i have the money, i know i don't need it but it feels good to buy it. there is something wrong with that. just cause i can, i do.
i just watched "Blood Diamond" again the other night and it is a pretty powerful movie. sure, i watched it to make googley eyes at leo but it also shows a world that is totally unknown and foreign to me and to many others. there is so much that goes on in the world that we have no idea is happening. they don't show a lot of these controversial issues on the 6:00 news. genocide in africa using child soldiers on crack is not a pressing issue. this stuff is still going on. how can we help? for one, when you buys diamonds (cause i do all the time) make sure they are conflict-free. but there is really no way to really know for sure so why buy them in the first place? people die so that you can have some bling. it's sad. there are other ways to show your lover that you love them, it doesn't always have to be so consumeristic and materialistic. and who says when you get married you need to have this ring with a giant sparkly rock? i don't know who started it but plenty of people get the nicest ring with the biggest rock then have to sell it later because they get divorced. it does not represent love, just money.
anyway, that was my rant of the day. i am excited for my new apartment though!!
Showing posts with label consumerism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumerism. Show all posts
09 October 2009
16 February 2009
#170 - valentine's day
i don't like valentine's day. i don't know what the origins of it are particularly. i think maybe it has to do with some saint? well whatever it started as, it's totally different now. i am not being bitter for having done nothing for that day but i have never really liked it. even when i was in a relationship or even when i got a dozen roses from a friend (that was really sweet!) i am just not big on the idea of it. it is basically consumerism at its finest. you have to show your bf/gf/spouse/lover how much you love them by showering them with gifts (diamonds!), chocolates, roses, and nice dinner. how shallow and lame. people have all kinds of expectations for the day and when it doesn't work out, they are disappointed. sure, who doesn't love getting gifts? it is nice to get all these things, but wouldn't it be more awesome if it was given on a totally separate day, when it is not expected? when society isn't telling you to buy all these things?
it's all so fake to me. pick a random day and surprise me. i'm not into diamonds so much but chocolate and flowers are always a plus! do i sound bitter? i hope not, that's not my intention and i don't think i'm bitter. i just think it's lame that the holiday is so commercialized. it's not even a real holiday but it seems like people only shower their loved ones on days they are expected to, v-day, birthdays, xmas. be a little more creative people!
i guess everything nowadays is commercialized and consumerism is all-important. since the economy is bad, we should stimulate it. what a concept. instead of watching our spending and living within our means we should go out and buy stuff. i like holidays where buying stuff isn't a big part of it, like thanksgiving. pretty simply, turkey day is getting together with family to eat and be thankful. and of course they try to commercialize it. it bugs me.
i spent the day giving love to the old people at my work, dressed everyone in red or pink (haha), and hanging out with friends. it was a good day and i felt the love. i didn't need anyone to buy me flowers cause i could appreciate all the flowers that the old people got from their relatives (but did they visit? hell no). i even enjoyed looking at the lilies that give me allergies. i ate chocolate too, why not?! it was good times and perhaps someday i will get flowers and a lovely romantic dinner...on a random day cause it's more awesome.
it's all so fake to me. pick a random day and surprise me. i'm not into diamonds so much but chocolate and flowers are always a plus! do i sound bitter? i hope not, that's not my intention and i don't think i'm bitter. i just think it's lame that the holiday is so commercialized. it's not even a real holiday but it seems like people only shower their loved ones on days they are expected to, v-day, birthdays, xmas. be a little more creative people!
i guess everything nowadays is commercialized and consumerism is all-important. since the economy is bad, we should stimulate it. what a concept. instead of watching our spending and living within our means we should go out and buy stuff. i like holidays where buying stuff isn't a big part of it, like thanksgiving. pretty simply, turkey day is getting together with family to eat and be thankful. and of course they try to commercialize it. it bugs me.
i spent the day giving love to the old people at my work, dressed everyone in red or pink (haha), and hanging out with friends. it was a good day and i felt the love. i didn't need anyone to buy me flowers cause i could appreciate all the flowers that the old people got from their relatives (but did they visit? hell no). i even enjoyed looking at the lilies that give me allergies. i ate chocolate too, why not?! it was good times and perhaps someday i will get flowers and a lovely romantic dinner...on a random day cause it's more awesome.
25 November 2008
#155 - economical crisis
i was watching the news and they were talking about consumerism, what we do the best. to me, this whole crisis should be a wake up call as to our spending habits. instead of encouraging people to control their spending, they are decreasing interest on loans and credit cards so that they can keep on. i do understand that a certain amount of consumerism is necessary to keep the economy rolling but on a personal level, i can control what i spend, period. i cannot control what is happening on the national or international level. sure, things will get more expensive and people will lose jobs. it is sad and scary and although i hope no one i know will be affected, i know they will. people are losing jobs everywhere. it is crazy.
i have been working on simplifying my life, which automatically means spending less or being more aware of what i am buying. i used to be quite the shopper but have never gone shopping on "black friday", the day after thanksgiving that has all the crazy sales at 4am. when there are sales you buy things you wouldn't normally buy. you spend money you don't need to spend. now when i buy things i am sure that they will last me longer and i get more from it. it needs to be something well-made and long-lasting. if i can borrow it, i do. if i can buy it second-hand, i do.
a lot of people say they shop on black friday so they can get christmas presents. every year christmas is less desirable to me. it is way too focused on consumerism and presents. it kind of defeats the whole purpose of christmas to me. lately i've been trying to make christmas presents, especially keeping in mind what people would use and love. i try to personalize it as much as i can. some things that i've made are shirts, bookmarks, and calendars. this year i am so far behind. i have no idea what i am doing this year. being a poor student i am sure people don't expect much but i still want to give some kind of gift.
this week is thanksgiving, a time to give thanks. there are so many things i am thankful for right now. we should be thankful everyday but when there is so much crap going on sometimes it's hard. in the span of about 12 hours i broke my phone and lost my bus pass (value of about $800). i blame working too much on those thing and being tired. thankfully my friend had an extra phone that works and i got a call this morning that someone turned in my pass! how amazing. i may complain about this or that but really i am so lucky and happy. i have a job, i am in school to get my RN soon, i have food to eat, a cool new house, friends, family and live in oregon. so many people have lost their jobs, are bankrupt, going through bad relationships, in jail, whatever...and so i have no right to complain. it's so much easier to be negative, i have to work on that.
i have been working on simplifying my life, which automatically means spending less or being more aware of what i am buying. i used to be quite the shopper but have never gone shopping on "black friday", the day after thanksgiving that has all the crazy sales at 4am. when there are sales you buy things you wouldn't normally buy. you spend money you don't need to spend. now when i buy things i am sure that they will last me longer and i get more from it. it needs to be something well-made and long-lasting. if i can borrow it, i do. if i can buy it second-hand, i do.
a lot of people say they shop on black friday so they can get christmas presents. every year christmas is less desirable to me. it is way too focused on consumerism and presents. it kind of defeats the whole purpose of christmas to me. lately i've been trying to make christmas presents, especially keeping in mind what people would use and love. i try to personalize it as much as i can. some things that i've made are shirts, bookmarks, and calendars. this year i am so far behind. i have no idea what i am doing this year. being a poor student i am sure people don't expect much but i still want to give some kind of gift.
this week is thanksgiving, a time to give thanks. there are so many things i am thankful for right now. we should be thankful everyday but when there is so much crap going on sometimes it's hard. in the span of about 12 hours i broke my phone and lost my bus pass (value of about $800). i blame working too much on those thing and being tired. thankfully my friend had an extra phone that works and i got a call this morning that someone turned in my pass! how amazing. i may complain about this or that but really i am so lucky and happy. i have a job, i am in school to get my RN soon, i have food to eat, a cool new house, friends, family and live in oregon. so many people have lost their jobs, are bankrupt, going through bad relationships, in jail, whatever...and so i have no right to complain. it's so much easier to be negative, i have to work on that.
27 August 2008
#132 - consumerism
how do you define yourself? when you meet someone new, they often ask "what do you do?" and it's a hard question to answer for me because 1) i wipe butts for a job and 2) i am going to school to become a nurse. neither of these things really define me as a person and i don't really want to introduce myself as one or the other. but what should i say? i am a person who loves to play dodgeball, sing in the rain, travel the world and to eat good food. :) i think people sometimes ask so they can feel superior. they might not even be listening to what you say, but waiting for you to finish so they can one-up you.
i was watching "trading spouses" on CMT (yes, don't laugh) and this lady was so caught up with herself, she kept mentioning that she had a four-poster California king bed. her relationship with her husband was distant at best, and really - she was crazy and self-absorbed. her insecurities with her personal life manifested itself in showing off of her material possessions. having a nice big bed does not make you a good or decent person. she criticized the other mom for not running twice a day and said how "they are lucky i am here to help them and give them some culture." she was from florida and they were from wisconsin. i am not sure there is much more culture in florida than wisco.
so these things make me think of the movie FIGHT CLUB. if you have not seen it, you must. if you do not like violence then you can skip over those scenes, i don't really believe it is essential to the essence of the themes and purpose. here is a short clip/quote from the movie about self and identity.
you're not your job. you're not how much money you have in the bank. you're not the car you drive. you're not the contents of your wallet. you're not your fucking khakis. you're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
i don't believe in advertising, especially for drugs. this is a post for another day but people really believe in what they see on tv. while this isn't necessarily their fault, it is a problem. "advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need." it is so true. why is it that we are so dependent on material possessions? having things makes us feel good and buying things makes us feel we are closer to somehow having everything we need. we will never get to that place because hopefully we are always evolving and will never reach a state of being "complete". every day is a chance to become a better person.
tyler durden says "the things you own end up owning you. it's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." meaning, material possessions are weighing us down. maybe it does not feel like it but our lives revolve around our "stuff". we need jobs to pay the rent to store the things we buy and electricity to keep them going. many people even have storage units to store the things they have purchased that they do not necessarily use. useless things taking up your money. that does not seem to make you "free". when people go through natural disasters and lose everything, they gain other things. they realize how the thing that's worth the most (their life) is still there even if they have no money. the friends and family that they still have is worth more than that house or car. while it may seem essential to have such things, it is not. of course losing all your possessions would be hard to cope with but there is more to life than stuff. with nothing to keep you attached you might realize that you have a bigger, larger purpose.
i re-read this post and it sounds kind of preachy. these are just my observations in general and while i believe a lot of it to be true, i do not really live this way. i buy things, i love to shop. i have more t-shirts than a person needs. i can not do laundry for a month and still have clothes to wear. BUT i do feel that all my things weigh me down and that if i can somehow simplify my life and pare down my belongings i will feel more free. i want to travel the world and having all this stuff kind of makes that less achievable. i need to pay rent or for storage while i am away, just so i have my things when i get back. on my trip to mexico/guatemala i lived out of a backpack, for almost a month. i never really felt i was lacking because i had the essentials and it was enough. back home, my room full of stuff was sitting there. going to school and working i do need a little more than just the essentials but the more you have, the more comfortable you become. why can't i just be content? if i am content with my material possessions, i can move on to other things. i can be free to change other aspects of my life and really work on my inner self, rather than focusing so much on my appearance/image/status.
i am working on finding a new place to live, with some friends. i want to pare down before i move. it will simplify the moving process as well as cut out the things in my life i don't need. other people could find better uses for my unloved things. i've got things sitting in the basement i haven't seen in a year. i am not even sure what's down there. i've got clothes i've never worn and books i never open. so i will simplify. will this get me closer to changing my life for the better? i hope so. it is hard to change the hard-wired consumerist lifestyle that we've become accustomed to but i want to, and hey, it can happen.
i was watching "trading spouses" on CMT (yes, don't laugh) and this lady was so caught up with herself, she kept mentioning that she had a four-poster California king bed. her relationship with her husband was distant at best, and really - she was crazy and self-absorbed. her insecurities with her personal life manifested itself in showing off of her material possessions. having a nice big bed does not make you a good or decent person. she criticized the other mom for not running twice a day and said how "they are lucky i am here to help them and give them some culture." she was from florida and they were from wisconsin. i am not sure there is much more culture in florida than wisco.
so these things make me think of the movie FIGHT CLUB. if you have not seen it, you must. if you do not like violence then you can skip over those scenes, i don't really believe it is essential to the essence of the themes and purpose. here is a short clip/quote from the movie about self and identity.
you're not your job. you're not how much money you have in the bank. you're not the car you drive. you're not the contents of your wallet. you're not your fucking khakis. you're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
i don't believe in advertising, especially for drugs. this is a post for another day but people really believe in what they see on tv. while this isn't necessarily their fault, it is a problem. "advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need." it is so true. why is it that we are so dependent on material possessions? having things makes us feel good and buying things makes us feel we are closer to somehow having everything we need. we will never get to that place because hopefully we are always evolving and will never reach a state of being "complete". every day is a chance to become a better person.
tyler durden says "the things you own end up owning you. it's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." meaning, material possessions are weighing us down. maybe it does not feel like it but our lives revolve around our "stuff". we need jobs to pay the rent to store the things we buy and electricity to keep them going. many people even have storage units to store the things they have purchased that they do not necessarily use. useless things taking up your money. that does not seem to make you "free". when people go through natural disasters and lose everything, they gain other things. they realize how the thing that's worth the most (their life) is still there even if they have no money. the friends and family that they still have is worth more than that house or car. while it may seem essential to have such things, it is not. of course losing all your possessions would be hard to cope with but there is more to life than stuff. with nothing to keep you attached you might realize that you have a bigger, larger purpose.
i re-read this post and it sounds kind of preachy. these are just my observations in general and while i believe a lot of it to be true, i do not really live this way. i buy things, i love to shop. i have more t-shirts than a person needs. i can not do laundry for a month and still have clothes to wear. BUT i do feel that all my things weigh me down and that if i can somehow simplify my life and pare down my belongings i will feel more free. i want to travel the world and having all this stuff kind of makes that less achievable. i need to pay rent or for storage while i am away, just so i have my things when i get back. on my trip to mexico/guatemala i lived out of a backpack, for almost a month. i never really felt i was lacking because i had the essentials and it was enough. back home, my room full of stuff was sitting there. going to school and working i do need a little more than just the essentials but the more you have, the more comfortable you become. why can't i just be content? if i am content with my material possessions, i can move on to other things. i can be free to change other aspects of my life and really work on my inner self, rather than focusing so much on my appearance/image/status.
i am working on finding a new place to live, with some friends. i want to pare down before i move. it will simplify the moving process as well as cut out the things in my life i don't need. other people could find better uses for my unloved things. i've got things sitting in the basement i haven't seen in a year. i am not even sure what's down there. i've got clothes i've never worn and books i never open. so i will simplify. will this get me closer to changing my life for the better? i hope so. it is hard to change the hard-wired consumerist lifestyle that we've become accustomed to but i want to, and hey, it can happen.
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