I suffer from . . .
Recently, stopping for some icecream became a bit of an overwhelming experience.
I tried to think of all the choices I had amongst me, so as to choose the best one. Not the old standby, or the choicest of a small number, but from ALL the selection choose my single choice.
And my mind staggered under the weight afforded me by where I live is crippling. There is too much afforded to me to take in unfiltered. I simply crumple.
And practically the same can be said of ice cream with it's many flavors . . . And cones, sprinkles, toppjngs, sandwiches, portions, brands, confections and varieties. Combined with living in Southern California, well … cultural diversity practically renders the choices beyond imagination.
I feel the sheer scope of possibilities is clouding my ability to critically evaluate and practice moderation.
Something I have been think8ng a lot about is the mixture of fun-loving, crazy and outta control pursuit of pleasure in America and the growing wealth inequality in America.
There used to be service-oriented jobs and younger people or wives tended to work these lower paying jobs. Now everyone does. A huge percent of America does qualify to pay income tax because they make less than the minimum amount or they are below the poverty line. Then you have Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z singing about suit 'n' tie events, truffles, and luxurious life. Even Lorde singing about all the wealth glamorized in pop culture, such as in socialite reality TV or celebrity news.
In history class, I heard that the Roman Empire put on circus performances, battles, and gave out free bread in the Colisseum as the empire began to crumble. And Marie Antoinette was vacationing in her garden residence putting on plays when she needed a break from the decadent jewels, cakes, and fashion in Versailles, until the government was overthrown by the working classes.
I feel like the working classes are grasping at pleasure as fast as the wealth try to find sufficient pleasures to defeat their boredom.
Also, the generations born in the 80s have been described as childish and unwilling to grow up but most people I know live at home, don't marry, or wait to have children because of employment and financial considerations. When someone who is 26 can't make more than someone who is a teenager, living a different kind of life is very difficult.
Professional jobs probably have the same competition other jobs do, and just finding an office job that pays decently is difficult.
This and our nation's own debt, make me wonder where our nation is headed.
The federal government used to tax alcohol makers and it was more than half of the federal budget … then teetotallers got a federal income tax … but when some people make 8 dollars an hour and other people make 500,000 dollars a year … I guess, it is frailty of the psyche and the desperation of those with the least which should move us to change something. Because if the culture of fun is just an escape, how long can we ignore what is tearing apart our communities and nation.
The rich will be liquidated.
I don't know if this is a joke or a sad commentary on the state of the current class war.