>>do we really have to consume, to be productive, happy, fullfilled, to do our part in this world?<<
Well, we do consume, and we do produce, no matter what, right? OK, there are those who never produce, people who were brain damaged at birth, something like that. But we all consume.
Happy and fulfilled is good, but we can't all have it. I think most of us would like to have it if we can.
I dunno. I drive a SUV, a 1996 Land Rover Discovery, so that makes me ipso facto evil. I bought it because my husband and kids are very tall, and I wanted them to be comfortable, and I wanted to be able to drive safely in the ice and snow in the mountains.
I didn't do it for the economy, and I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks about me. If I wanted to impress people I'd drive a Mercedes or a Lexus or a Porsche. It's just a car, a way to get from Point A to Point Z. I do care about the environment, I recycle more than anyone else I've ever known or heard of. I'm fanatical about conservation. This car wasn't intended to be my GFY to the rest of the world, it was intended to be my cocoon, my shield. I bought it after an accident where my husband ran into a deer on the highway while I was a passenger, that caused tremendous damage to the vehicle, and made me feel very unsafe.
My question is, how did what we consume get transformed into who we are?
Do I have to make a fashion statement every time I buy something?
Is nothing private? Is nothing personal? |
