When I was in my youth I woke up to the evils of the society I was living in with its hypocrisy, warmongering, greed and destructive ways. I saw that the constant striving for growth was destroying nature and that most people were snared into a life of mindless consumerism. The tenets of the culture were based on greed and selfishness. I wanted none of it.
The music I was listening to reflected the attitude I had towards the evils of that society – ‘It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’, ‘McGoohan’s Blues’, ‘Maggie’s Farm’, ‘The Unknown Soldier’, ‘Who are the Brain Police’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’.
I had no desire to be part of that machine. I despised its pointlessness. I wanted something more fulfilling. I did not want to have anything to do with a machine that was so destructive. I did not want to spend my time working for a society that I believed was basically evil. I wanted to opt out. I wanted to live a more meaningful life which was more in tune with nature.
I set out to try to divorce myself from the whole of that culture. I wanted something better. I thought I could live outside of that society, to live simply in a more natural way and make a living out of creativity. I had no desire to get on that consumerist treadmill. I did not aspire to be rich, or even comfortable; I wanted to be happy and fulfilled; I wanted to find something that felt more spiritually significant. I saw the life my Dad was living as empty and pointless. I saw what society was creating as a concrete nightmare.
As I grew older I discovered that my dream was just that – a dream. I discovered that one could not live outside of society. Whatever you did it pulled you back in. There was no outside.
Living simply off the land was not idyllic and 7.6 Billion people could not live like that. Making a living from creativity was not possible for most of us. Regardless of what you did society went on with its inexorable destruction. We were caught up in it whether we liked it or not. War, poverty, the destruction of nature, pollution, overpopulation and mindless greed went on all around. No man was an island and it was no use to try to blot out the suffering that was the result of this relentless striving for power and wealth.
If you don’t like something you can either try to ignore it and divorce yourself from it or you can try to make it better.
I grew up then you are not that much older than I,it was a sea uncertainty
Where those who were suppose know did not,for that matter its happening again,mama may have and papa may have but God bless the child that has his own
Cheers Sheldon.
Back at you
It’s always been a struggle fighting against all that we do not agree with. Wanting better in life, a kinder world a world where no harm comes to animals where the environment is not destroyed. Who destroyed it all, us. You can’t trust Politicians, or all those others that speak out telling us what to do, whilst they do exactly what they want. You scream inside yourself because you are not free, living in little boxes doing what others want you to do. You broke free for a period of time you tasted that freedom. We are the same age, once on the same side of Politics perhaps, but now there are no Politicians or policies that are right, no one could possibly trust. The World is no longer Free, people have become more greedy and self centered. Too many concerned over this ridiculous world of celebrities. Far too many talk with such insincerity regarding saving the wildlife or starving children or sexually or physically abused children. We the little people as they call us, without us no taxes are paid no government has money its our money, we have the right to speak out to shout to protest to do our bit. It may not all make a difference what you do Opher or I do, but as long as we keep battling for what we think is right our conscience is clear. In a way, thats Freedom. Keep battling.
Yes people do seem to have become greedier and less caring. There’s plenty to keep fighting for!
Come off it people, we have had a celebrity culture since the day daily newspapers were invented. So no change there and only an ignorance of our media history could dictate any other opinions.
We actually have become less greedier and more caring which were anyone paying attention could not fail to notice the constant rancor objecting to it within our media. Nobody is safe and secure from attack for even the smallest of affrays.
I think the comments above have been written by those living under a stone for quite some time.
So Abigail you don’t think there is a selfish, greedy culture that doesn’t care a hoot about the environment? Or that celebrity culture has got much more pervasive?