Down in CNY

I am incredibly depressed right now. I'm not sure exactly why, but the weather is likely to be a big part of it. As I have aged I have discovered that barometric pressure can really alter my moods.
There are a few social reasons for it also.
Last night a busload of people arrived at the bar across the street. These revelers were obviously already loaded and needed to go to a coffee shop, not somewhere to top it off with more booze. Of course it got loud. Since smokers bring their drinks out to the stoop to smoke and drink.
Sitting at my desk I became aware that one middle aged man had left the group and was accosting a group of young men. Apparently they had the temerity to try to walk across the parking lot on their way from the basketball court at the school, to their homes down the street.
One young man refused to be intimidated. He didn't holler back. He got on his phone and called his Mom. I went out in front of my house in case the intoxicated person got pushy. He was being energized by his friends up at the door to the bar. Finally he went back to them and I went up on my porch.
The young man waited in front of a neighbors house for his ride.
After a few minutes Mr. Intoxicated realized the kid was still there. He started yelling obscenities and I told him to watch his mouth. At that point my neighbor who was watching from her living room quietly said she had called the police.
Four squad cars showed up. By that time the young man's ride had come and gone, and the rowdiness was the upscale, drunken white folks from the bus tour. I'm not sure what came to pass but they were all asked to go inside since drinking on the sidewalk is technically not allowed.
Need I mention who was white and who was not? Who was from the neighborhood and who was probably former University grads who think they own the world because they can afford to rent a bus for a day of revelry? Yeah I didn't think so.

The other thing that has me pissed off is this stupid recurring post on Facebook, often all in caps.

Thank you Florida, Kentucky, and Missouri which are the first states that will require drug testing when applying for welfare. Some people are crying and calling this unconstitutional. How is this unconstitutional? It's OK to drug test people who work for their money but not those who don't?… Re-post this if you'd like to see this done in all 50 states and Canada!!!

or this one

F YOU CROSS THE N.KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY~YOU GET 12YRS HARD LABOR! IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHANISTAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU~GET SHOT! IF YOU CROSS THE.U.S.BORDER YOU GET~A JOB~A DRIVERS LICENSE~FOODSTAMPS~WELFARE~A PLACE TO LIVE~HEALTHCARE~HOUSN~CHILD BENEFITS~EDUCATION N TAX FREE BUSINESS FOR 7YRS. NO WONDER WERE A COUNTRY DROWNIN IN DEBT!! RE~POST IF THIS PISSES YOU OFF!! 

 

Yes, this post pisses me off. 

What is it with the war on poor? You must be a drug crazed, lazy assed criminal, and of course, if I'm wealthy it must be because GOD has shone his golden light of glory on me because I am such a wonderful person.

sheesh

What cost success?

What does it mean to be successful? From a biologist's point of view it means to live long enough to successfully reproduce. For a species it means having enough members successfully reproduce so that the species continues. Similarly for a tribe, or herd, it means to have enough members to continue.

I have a cousin who runs his own business. It's small. Often struggling. He could probably do better financially working retail. But he loves his work. He loves his work, he pays his bills, and he has enough for some of the fun things in life. Isn't that success?

Oh - and he makes the world a little better, happier

or more friendly - every day.

I understand his house is not up to par with what most folks think is necessary (never seen it for myself). Does that matter? If it's adequate for him and his spouse, isn't it a success?

When I retired from my high pressure job I made a choice to live well within my means. My basic needs can be covered by my small pension. I have a part time job which provides me with food, clothing, entertainment. In this economy I chose to work part time so that someone who had a family to care for could have the full time job I might otherwise take.

Am I not successful?

I met a man through my work who gave up working. He gave up the constant struggle and pressure of working and is happier for it. I hope to speak with him again. I'd like to know more. I think he meant he had enough to provide for himself, and so he stopped trying to scramble up that ladder we call success.

We keep hearing about the death of the middle class. Maybe we should let it die. Corporations have power over us because we are scrambling to achieve a certain level of living that we have been trained to believe is success. And it is never ending. As soon as we get that house in the good neighborhood, the SUV and the golf clubs, we see something else that we "need".

I recently read an article about Endicott Johnson, a CNY shoe factory. The owner felt that his workers should be well paid, have benefits and that he should contribute to the community. Interestingly the union was suspicious of this. The union felt these perks were intended to make the employee feel grateful and therefore indebted to the company.

I can tell you that a good job is its own shackle. If you hate the job, or the job becomes oppressive or abusive, it is difficult to leave because, where will you find another job that pays as well or has the same benefits.

Maybe we would be better off, emotionally and socially if we simply called their bluff. What if we were content with what our grandparents or great grandparents had. Do we really need more than a sturdy roof over our heads, a warm bed and a chair to sit in, enough food to keep us healthy, and the proverbial pot to piss in?

If we let go of the race, stop running the treadmill, "the man" won't be able to Lord it over us anymore. Instead of going with our plate in our hand and begging for more bread, he'll have to come to us and say "mow my lawn, polish my silver, please". And if we aren't stressing over that next car payment or getting the new xyz phone, we can think about it, consider it, and say yes - or no - depending on our needs or wants.

Certainly our clamoring for the good life has been detrimental in the long run. The quest for stuff has left us with huge garbage piles, chemical waste leaching into our water, traffic and bad air, and less time than we'd like with our family. The stress itself is killing us, and sending us stumbling after the pied piper of big pharma, big food etc.

As I made dinner last night my family eschewed the TV for the front porch. My granddaughter rode her scooter around the block and entertained some passing friends. Neighbors out walking their dogs stopped for a chat. And my daughter was able to squelch a particularly dangerous form of entertainment some youngsters have been subjecting the neighborhood to.

Seems like that is a better life than the one found in front of a 60" TV with surround sound.