Can you imagine?

When you think of what in your life is most important, what comes to mind? Family? Friends? Love? Are there any things - objects, tangible items, possessions - on your list of what's most important to you? I bet there aren't, and if there are perhaps you should re-think your priorities.

So if tangible items don't make the list of importance, why do we all spend so much time worried about buying the latest car, the fancy new mp3 player, the bigger and better TV. Why do we focus on getting more and more? And in the midst of all that, are we really keeping in mind what's really important?

Have you passed up a chance to spend time with your family because you want to go to the mall? Have you put off visiting a friend because you just can't squeeze it in around work and all those errands that just have to be done today?

True, material things can make life easier. Imagine life before VCRs to tape a show or movie you'll miss. And it certainly is easier to carry around an entire CD collection in one handy, compact mp3 player. And some things are obviously necessary, but life's necessities are just the basics and we (by that I mean our society as a whole) are certainly focused on getting more and more, bigger and better, the newer the better.

In a society that stresses the "good life", living beyond one's means, keeping up with the Joneses (whoever they are), where you're immediately bombarded with commercials for super this and new and improved that, how can we avoid being taken in by such commercialism? What would happen if we just decided to ignore it? To turn off the TV's, shut down the computers, stop our cars, and emerge from our dazed states. Can you even imagine how things could be? Is it too mind boggling or can you picture a simpler (although far from simplistic) world? Can you imagine??

Yours,
Penguini