Consumerism Mulled Over

It's nice to actually have a chance to sit down and dialogue about this! And ironically, despite your insistence that this is a departure from our "religious" discussion, I'm compelled to argue that it fits right in. How we manage the resources at our disposal is a direct result of what we believe and of our overall worldview. It's a good question to be asking.

That all being said, let me say that the idea of a compact like that is wicked challenging. When you stop to think about all of the stuff that you actually go out and buy and consume, it's mind numbing. Just this week I've been making a conscious effort to use regular plates as opposed to paper ones (which I realize is a goofy sort of thing but with two kids and two adults who abhor anything that remotely resembles dishwashing, it seems logical!) and that has been eye-opening just in terms of waste. Actually, I think food is one of the easiest areas to both fail and to begin making such a change. How many times have we had dinner, thrown the leftovers into some Tupperware and into the fridge, only to revisit them months later, only now they resemble your Uncle Reggie with his green tinted hair? Its the easiest place to waste yet it's also the easiest to fix. We've been making a conscious effort to eat as much of our leftovers as we can, converting them into new meals and such. For instance, Saturday evening we had some friends over and had barbecued ribs, baked beans, corn, and some other stuff. The beans and ribs were the majority of the leftovers. Well, we had some more of those Sunday evening, took a break, and tonight converted a good portion of the leftover ribs into a simple stir-fry. It was delicious, curbed the waste, and saved us money. That's good on all fronts!

I think the issue here is not only in how we alter our methods but also how we think about these things. Why are we consumed with a desire to consume? What is it about us that makes us desire, even lust after that new book, car, whatever? Do we blame the media? Do we blame ourselves? And once we've discovered the antagonist, how do we then rid ourselves of it? And what is a healthy balance of consumption and prohibition? What does moderation really look like?

Ever since I've been writing music reviews recently, I've tended to think of things more and more in song. Here are the lyrics to a great song written and recorded by alt-country singer, Rodney Crowell. I'll leave you with that and look forward to your thoughts.

The Obscenity Prayer (Give it to Me)

Give to me my time and money Give to me my milk and honey
Give to me my self respect Golden chains around my neck
Give to me my super model corporate jet and champagne bottle
Get me out there on the town Let me spread my wealth around
I could learn to love this life I lead
Just don’t take away the things I need
I feel rosey in the pink Just don’t make me stop and think
All those dark thoughts in my head seem like better left unsaid
Give it to me Give it to me

Give to me my latest fashion Make my lover burn with passion
Give to me my charm and wit Keep my body young and fit
Give to me my haute couture Give the world a cancer cure
Serve my breakfast au frescoe Let the wine and liquor flow
I can search for truth some other time
Right now I just want to get whats mine
Let the gangsters rule the street
Let teachers try to make ends meet
I despise all bleeding hearts I don’t patronize the arts
Give it to me Give it to me

Give to me my Aspen winter Sorry bout the world trade center
I can’t help the one’s in need I’ve got my own mouth to feed
Give to me my playboy channel Killer weed and sheets of flannel
Lay me down upon my bed With pleasant dreams to fill my head
I don’t care what this world is coming to
And there ain’t one damn thing that I can do
I don’t have a leg to stand on I don’t have a net to land on
I don’t have a base of power I don’t have the extra hour
Give it to me Give it to me

Give to me my tax cut outsource
Build me my own private golf course
The Dixie Chicks can kiss my ass
But I still need that backstage pass

Give to me my Nasdaq numbers
Intel shares and E-trade blunders
Soldiers to defend my freedom
A script for valium if I need em’

Ouch. For more ouch and musical pondering on the emptiness of consumerism and material wealth, check out Johnny Cash's haunting video for the song, "Hurt".

- andy