You have a degree. You are a working member of society. Your health could be better if you had the time to make your own meals and the self-esteem to not need a drink to try to score with the opposite sex. On average you’re doing alright for yourself. With the holiday season coming up you’re planning for more spending than average -and not just for others, but a little for yourself too. Most of your shopping is done online, but there are a few things you need now; you can’t wait for shipping. While running around in the drizzle, some car doesn’t see you, or you slide when people in front hit the brakes. It doesn’t matter. An unplanned expense seeps into your funds. You don’t have a brand new car. Nor is it a lease, so you don’t get a rental while your car is in the shop. You have to rely on friends and public transportation. Your friends work too, and the two people you get along with at work don’t live near you. Public transportation it is. Everything takes 3x as long. The part needed for your car has to be ordered and shipped: lucky you, your car is delayed a week more in the shop. You prioritize. You’re not late for work at all. Though you quickly feel utterly drained. It shows. Bills and presents are going on credit. Sleep numbers are also going in the negative. Calorie and fat numbers are gaining tremendous momentum. The medal for spiked blood sugar levels is yours for the taking. Your body is tricking you into thinking it’s ran out of fuel. “Feed me,” it keeps saying. Coffee. Coke. Christmas cookies. Your numbers are beginning to show on your face. Your numbers are beginning to reflect in your work. Your numbers are beginning to take over your thoughts. “Why do I own all this stuff? What sacrifices do I need to make to lose this weight… to pay some of this debt… to make more money… to get more sleep… to get laid??” All very good questions. Sadly, more stuff -diet pills, diet books, exercise equipment, sleeping aids such as pills, earplugs, blackout curtains, a better apartment/mattress/pillow/heating system/lover, and porn- seems to infest your answers as solutions.
Who’s accountable for this downward spiral? Is it just one person? Is there just one incident? 60% of U.S. population reside in Urban areas. There’s congestion, noise, fast food, and a falling sense of community. How many people admit accountability? How many companies -which all these people work for- admit accountability? How many governments -which “represents” all their people- admit accountability? Take a family, for example: A house of dictatorship or democracy. The parents rule the house regardless. Hopefully it’s democratic. The parents are, hopefully, leading by example, but so often they preach the good example then practice with deluding evidence. People seem to be stuck in this “top down” approach in almost every system of life. Parents ruling children. Boards ruling schools. Schools ruling teachers. Teachers ruling children. The market ruling the government. Government ruling capitalism. Capitalism ruling companies. Companies ruling people. People ruling pets. Pets relieving themselves on your carpet in protest.
Who’s accountable?
[Rep] I don’t know, let me get the manager.
[Mgr] I’m sorry, it’s company policy.
[Co.] Thank you for your concern, we will investigate.
[$$] I keep being handed to you, so you must not be doing anything wrong.
[Gov’t] Is anyone paying attention to us? I know you are, money, anyone else? Oh, if you have a concern there’s an infinite paper ladder you’ll need to climb. Oh, no. We don’t read them, we pass them: too much work and accountability to read and implement fairly. Keep up the good work but don’t bother fighting. We’re the ones who invented “too big to fail” systems. We the people, follow our past examples. Not so much our present. Actually, don’t follow past examples either. Go for the examples we promise to provide in the future.
[Gov’t] The market is failing? Who’s accountable?? Not me. The market is not my responsibility. If anything, the market is responsible for me! If the market is failing I must be failing. Crap. How to delude the people I’m supposed to be representing…
To be continued…