I consider myself to be a patriot. With that said, I know my history. Throughout history, our ancestors were usually fighting for something: freedom from oppression, freedom of Religion, freedom to be taxed with fair representation, freedom against injustice, and so on. During those times in our history up until the 1980s, people struggled just to survive. Some were able to survive better than others, and most (in the baby boom era) had large families to take care of. During those times in our history, we understood community more than we understood materialism.
“The American Dream” meant that we could have it all — a big family, nice house, nice car, nice things. Many started to buy into the hype and that brings us up to the materialism that was the 80s. Indulge now — pay for it later. Because at the end of the party the piper always gets his one way or another.
It made me think about how life is today in contrast to how life was. For many of us (most of us) in this country, we haven’t had to experience what it is like to want for our basic necessities. Back in 1940 just getting a new pair of shoes or heck even a new pair of shoelaces was a big deal. People had to be more self-reliant and find ingenious ways to get what they needed. Being a self-made man was a birthright. A college education was for rich people. My grandfather actually quit school at the age of 14 so that he could find work to help support his mom and brother after his dad (my great grandfather) died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Back in those days, wasting food was considered a sin because people didn’t have a lot and if they lived through the depression — knew what it meant to go without basic necessities.
It’s not like that today. In our world now, we have at minimum 2 televisions. Most of us have a gaming system, cable television, cell phones, 2 cars (if we’re talking about a family), and more shiny stuff with blinking lights than we can shake a stick at. We are the product of instant gratification. We want it our way and we want it now. If it feels good… do it. Everything has to be bigger, brighter, move faster, and most important — make our lives easier.
So the obesity epidemic (in my humble opinion) is a sign of the times. It’s a sign that we don’t struggle to have our basic needs met. We want to overindulge in everything because it feels good. I am a firm believer that unless you are a monk or Mother Teresa — everyone in this country over indulges on something: alcohol, drugs, food, spending, etc.
But are we happier? 1 in 20 Americans suffers from depression. Many more suffer from anxiety and other mood disorders.
I say that obesity, materialism and depression is all connected.
I don’t know about you — but this definitely makes me think about things in my own life.
