Materialism and Our Uncivilized Civilization
by
Ali McWilliams
I had the extreme
pleasure of receiving a ride to the movies from my sister's friend's mother
(who, for all practical reasons, shall remain nameless). I am acquainted
with the family; one of the girls is in my class, and the mother's husband
is my stepfather's best friend from childhood. Thus, it is fair for me
to state, without prejudice and conceit, that this woman (along with the
girls she raised, of course) is the shallowest, snootiest, and most materialistic
human being I have ever been in such close quarters with. It is not an
exaggeration to label her as the epitome of all contributions to the downfall
of our "advanced" society.
I entered the car
(some $30,000 SUV) with the expectation of hearing one or two petty remarks,
but that actually excited me, because I knew my best friend Sheri and I
would have something to laugh at later. What I was assaulted with, however,
blew me away. Our driver, who wore a full face of make-up and snapped gum
while thumping the wheel and singing along to "No Scrubs," seemed to find
herself amusing. My sister and I of course laughed politely, but she couldn't
help but nudge me subtly as her friend's mother told us, with the most
serious expression one can imagine, that she hates how there are so many
different brands of toothpaste in the United States because she can never
decide which to buy. "It was, like, my biggest decision of the week," she
complained, gum still snapping and emitting a peppermint scent that even
smelled expensive. Sheri soon joined in on the nudging, and we three could
hardly contain our laughter/disgust.
She proceeded to discuss
with us that the United States "has too much" (which, of course, I totally
agree with, but it sounded a little hypocritical coming from a woman whose
fingers boasted perfectly manicured nails, and whose fragrance smelled
like something that was far from cheap). "You know?" she gabbed. "Too much
of anything can be bad."
"Well, not anything," her daughter supplied, as if they had had this
discussion before.
"That's right," she agreed. "You can never have too much love." (Sheri
nudged me and I looked at her face, which made it clear to me that she
was beyond the point of laughter and was close to gagging up her pizza.)
"Or clothes," countered
her cohort in crime. Profundity was abundant.
My sister's friend
also made some sort of complaint at one point; something about how some
guy called her a hermit. And what's that?
"A hermit is, like,
someone who lives alone and never leaves their house. Not even to go shopping."
"Oh."
"Yeah, we're not hermits,
because we like to shop."
We were allowed the privilege of listening to her tale about her cat
that couldn't stop coughing up hairballs. She took him to the vet and the
doctor wanted to shave him. And she told him she didn't want a cat that
looked like Mr. Bigglesworth. And isn't that a hilarious story? She should
really write down some of this stuff; she could make a fortune!
Shrek is, like, her
favorite movie. She rented it and had to pay the late fee because she watched
it, like, four nights in a row. (Understand: The late fee, along with the
rental fee, along with her car and her house and her every possession,
were purchased with money from her husband's rather large salary, and not
a penny did she work for. Although, of course, she did have to pick out
toothpaste.)
There were many other
such incidents that occurred during the fifteen-minute ride to the theater,
including a rant session about her older daughter's choice in men ("This
kid was just weird, so I always sang 'No Scrubs' when she talked about
him."), and highlighted by her animated account of the nervousness that
she felt after hanging a poster of Tom Cruise in her kitchen. ("I'd be
making dinner, and he'd be watching me. I just couldn't handle it anymore.")
Tell me, is there
no going back? Has our country become so technologically and mentally advanced
that we have overlooked the very foundation of our morals? This particular
mother is an active participant in a certain church, and she even claimed
at one point to be "a good Christian girl." I, maybe due to some lack of
ability to comprehend others' emotions and actions, do not see anything
"Christian" about this woman. While I am not a Christian, I share similar
beliefs with many of that religion. I have generally observed that most
genuine "good Christian girls" are more than willing to help others, to
give without needing to receive, to turn the other cheek, to leave real
judgment up to God, even to give more of themselves than they comfortably
can in order to assist a neighbor. These are all wonderful ideals, but
this particular woman is far from compliant with usual Christian standards.
The knowledge that
many people live each day exactly like this mother does makes me want to
cry, laugh, and start a riot all at the same time. When I walk down to
the docks and watch the salty water flow down the channel, or when I hike
in the woods or stop to pick up a pretty feather I found in the yard, it
usually makes me feel alive. The beauty of nature is one of the few things
I hold closest to my heart. But lately all I have been feeling is sickness,
knowing that people can drive their cars into the ground as they toss cigarette
butts carelessly out the window, and they never even look around them.
To think that there are people whose only miracles are those they have
never even seen, while they ignore the wonders of everything that's right
in front of them: it destroys me.
When I don't take
such petty, ignorant remarks or actions to heart, however, they never cease
to entertain me. There are just so many people out there who should wear
bright neon yellow t-shirts that say, "Hey, look, my type of people don't
only exist in movies after all!" Just when you think it's all made up by
screenwriters for the sake of amusement, you come across one of those stereotypical
cheerleaders or a wealthy blonde Clueless character. Although I tend to
dream about my very own utopian society, I have to admit that without the
snobby and the empty-minded zombies that I often yearn to remove, life
just wouldn't be so damn funny.
Being a nonviolent
individual, I would never hurt someone in an attempt to get my way. But
sometimes things happen (like the events described at the beginning of
this essay/story/observation) that elevate my frustration with modern American
culture to the point where I feel the need to knock down a few walls, both
metaphorically and physically. I can handle impoliteness, bad manners,
or just plain rudeness. But when it comes to the ignorance and self-obsession
that my sister's friend's mother displayed, I can hardly contain my desire
to go burn down a mall or something. Why does she deem it acceptable to
ignore the thousands of starving children across the sea (and even in our
own country) while she pisses away her husband's riches on Clinique and
Elizabeth Arden and god only knows what else? Why have so many Americans
lost sight of what they have because they are so busy worrying about what
they have yet to obtain? Does happiness exist outside of a shopping center
for these people, or are their souls really so vacant that they believe
their possessions make up all they are?
Please, go outside
today, and breathe and smile and walk in the sunlight. Enjoy yourself and
allow nature to rejuvenate you. I promise, there is a way out of this uncivilized
civilization.
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