Recently, I’ve seen a lot of posts to both Twitter and Facebook gently reminding people that they might be able to change their lives if they do something about them rather than merely kvetch. I know that there’s a lot of truth in this though frankly, sometimes it’s just easier to complain.
I used to be this way about American politics. The blinding idiocy of what goes on in that arena would send me into rages, followed by mean, desiccated depressions. But then came the day when I realized that no amount of online complaint, letters written to the editor, guest columns in the local paper, or broadsides posted to (insert website of your own particular leanings here) will make one bit of difference. People believe what they want to believe, facts be damned. And the behavior of politicians? That’s even more immutable. You want them to behave differently? C’mon, they’re in politics. It would be like asking that big slug you see on your back patio every morning to stop leaving that trail of slime. Sure, it offends you, but not the slug. Why, it’s the essence of slugness!
I’m not sure how I got onto this rant about politics since what really set me off yesterday was seeing the “Available” sign affixed to the side of a very cool local coffee shop. By very cool, I mean that it was in an old one-room school building, had old worn floors, very high ceilings, lots of snazzy local art on the walls, and very good coffee. A couple of years ago, Dunkin Donuts bought the lot right next door and installed one of their prefab stores, selling their prefab coffee and prefab machine-extruded product. I used to stop in at the place next door on my way to work in the winter. On snowy days, it was the perfect landing point to refill the coffee mug and also knock the snow and ice buildup from the wheel wells. There were usually five or six people in there getting breakfast and coffee. When I drove off, I’d see 10 or 15 cars backed up at the Dunkin’s drivethrough lane. Pissed me off every time. Greatest country in the world and yet we’ll sacrifice quality for convenience every time.
Note: Not long after we drove by the former coffee shop we listened to Tom Waits telling a story with characters such as Horseface Ethel and her Marvelous Pigs in Satin. Yes, Mr. Waits does make a “product,” but folks don’t appear to be as interested in it as say, Toby Keith. Pisses me off every time.
As for the idea of doing something about these things, my solutions have been a) to become apolitical (read: ignore politics, voting, etc.) and b) give my business to as many local stores as possible. Will any of this work? Will the country turn into (as folk artist Greg Brown says) a coast-to-coast strip mall? It just might…if it hasn’t already.
That’s politics and the retail economy. What about other major stressors like the career thing? For the most part I’ve always fallen back on the standard tactics. Yeah, that would be moaning and complaining. But as you read this, know that me and TheWife™ have gone off on a road trip that might end up changing everything. No amount of political slime or corporate product will hold us back. We will not be helpless.
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