Monday, August 20, 2007

commentary- take it or leave it

many folks who know me know that i don't speak if i don't have anything to say. i have been finding it very difficult to say anything these days. in fact, i am having a damned hard time typing this. i guess i just don't know what to say anymore. when i started this blog, it was to try something new. i had no idea what i was doing or even how to read other blogs. i wrote what i wanted to- and hoped for the best. some of my earlier posts were some of my best. i tell it like i see it- and here i am now. if there is anything i pride myself on, it's honesty. i do my best to be tactful but if i run out of patience- it's just going to be the unvarnished truth. i am not feeling impatient these days- just tired.

i am tired of regressive thinking. people should not live where the only emotion that they feel is anger all of the time. look around- that's what i see. i see angry people making poor decisions because they held onto the anger rather than taking a moment to cool down and look at the bigger picture. i see people who aren't really willing to give up much of their lifestyle or make any radical changes because- it won't matter in the grander scheme unless everyone does it. i see excess and unabated consumerism in friends i have considered good friends- but misery and unhappiness in their faces instead of joy. i am tired.

what can we do? i will tell you what we can do. we, the people, can work from the inside out and from the bottom up to fix what ails this country. but will we? we can stop buying shit. we can use less stuff. we can boycott companies that support a way of life we allegedly don't agree with. we can stop taking vacations that require driving or flying. but------it would take effort. it would take sacrifice. and we have all sorts of excuses for not doing anything but bitching. we work and have families and blah blah blah. yeah- and our ancestors didn't have the luxury of taking vacations. grow up.

anger is a useful tool until it is the only thing running your campaign. hatred can be a useful catalyst but it shouldn't be sustainable. we can force change- through our pocketbooks and through changing our lifestyle. i don't want to hear can't. i don't care if you commute to work- institute a car pool. that would be 3 less cars on the road. we can do anything- even if it takes time. doing nothing isn't acceptable. you don't need me to tell you this day in and day out. most of the people who read my blog are- i assume adults- use the brain you have and do it. is it comfortable? no. but it is the only recourse we have. short of civil war- we aren't going to change the way america is headed. but we can grow our own veggies- i did. not rocket science. we can stop buying stuff we don't need. we can stop supporting businesses who aren't pro-planet. we can make our lives more eco friendly- and by not buying stuff maybe there wouldn't be as many sweat shops. think about that.

4 comments:

The Future Was Yesterday said...

Now That's the Betmo I used to be scared shitless of!:)

"Tact" is something you hang a picture up with, ain't it? I never saw any use for them on a blog, so I don't use any.

Just keep telling the truth - and don't be afraid to smash a few heads along the way!

The Truth may not set you free, but it damn sure makes you feel better!!

Chuck said...

Great post!

Larry said...

Great commentary Betmo!

No said...

I think judgmental thinking can also be a danger.