Helping some friends / giving thanks / random ranting

My wife received a phone call Monday night from a friend of hers. I was sitting in the floor with Katelyn coloring pictures with her crayons. She tells me what colors to use and then hands it to me.

When she hung up the phone she informed me that an old friend of hers was in need of help. Her husband has lost his job, and they had lost their home and were on the street. So since Tuesday night, they've been staying with us. We're trying to help them out until they can get back on their feet. They have two boys, ages 10 and 8. I know it must be rough on them.

It's been a very interesting week. In the least, I am reminded to appreciate the things that I have in life, and how fortunate I am. I thank God for the skills and abilities that He has given me, and the opportunities through the years to use them. I am thankful for my family, and how they've always been there for me. There is a lot that we take for granted in life. It is sad that so many people don't poke their heads up from the rat race to see that.

I see so many people who  spend way too much time worrying about "Faster, Bigger, Better", and "Keeping up with the Jones". (Don't get me started there) My wife and I saw a house for sale that we liked last weekend. We became excited, and contacted a realtor friend of ours who could show us the inside of the house. But today as I sit and look at where I am in life, I am just grateful that I have a roof over my head and a job that allows me to provide adequately for my family.

The media and culture in this country (US) seems to produce this competitive mentality. We are made to feel that we are in some way inferior or a lesser person if we make less money, wear the wrong shoes, wear the wrong clothing, drive an older car, or weigh more than the people next door (or the people in the television ads). It annoys the living crap out of me!! What does it take for people to see through that and realize that it's just marketing BS? One example that really annoys the hell out of me is the SUV craze. What the heck is that all about? "Gee I better go get an SUV because everyone else I know is getting one". Yeah. That's the right mentality to have. Sure it is.

I guess part of my perspective comes from the fact that I've spent so much of my life trying to be a non-conformist. My shirt may look very similar to yours, but be slightly different. The only real difference is that I spent 6 dollars at Wal-Mart rather than 36 dollars at Gap or Eddie Bower or whever-the-hell. So basically that's a 30 dollar logo your wearing because some marketing  person convinced you that you wouldn't be "cool" or "socially acceptable" without it. Yeah. Right. I don't buy into that one either. And believe me, I could afford the 36 dollar version, but I just see right through the bullshit screen on that. It's just nuts to me.

I guess that's one of the best things about non-conformity. You learn to not care what other people think and to think for yourself. When I find myself in traffic and see 6 SUVs in a row, I envision their drivers as mindless lemmings with their noses to the ass of the lemming in front of them. I learned a LONG time ago that the only person who is allowed to decide how I feel about myself is ME. And that's it. There is no committee, or board that deicdes this. Just me. Now if the rest of America can put down their Starbucks coffee and step out of their SUVs long enough, maybe they'll wake up and get the message, but I seriously doubt it. The folks in the marketing department won't hear of it.