Sunday, February 5, 2012

Gourmet Scented Pencils

Have you ever noticed all the nonsense for sale? I genuinely think that our entire culture may be insane. There are these societies of people all over this planet who live their lives with strictly the bare minimum. They have just enough food. They have clothing adequate enough to cover their nakedness. They have rickety shelters to house them. There may possibly be somewhere in existence one ratty old toy to entertain the children of the household. The divide between the cultures is intense. And I'm not going to even say "woe is them... poor, poor people... how very sad." I've seen some very happy unaware "poor" people. I wouldn't try and convince them for one second that they need more toys for their children or higher quality clothing. I haven't any right to judge the cultural divide. I believe everyone SHOULD have adequate food, and shelter, and clothing, access to medical care and education. The fact of the matter is there is plenty to go around so these things shouldn't be begrudged anyone. It just doesn't make common sense when they are. BUT that leads me away from my point.

I noticed a pack of Gourmet scented pencils at the store the other day. The THINGS we've come up with!!! Really, really, gourmet pencils!?!? There are moments in the day when my eyes open and I notice all the trinkets, all the toys in the toy department of the store, all the gadgets in housewares, all the accessories for our vehicles and I wonder what we're all thinking. Have we actually gotten to the point where we're just trying to find stuff to spend money on? I certainly know that the house I'm living in contains oodles of nonsense items. WHY?

Why does anyone need to take money they've earned, money they've spent time laboring for from their wallet (or for that matter money they don't even possess yet because they're using a charge card and borrowing the bills from a credit card company) so they might own gourmet scented pencils? I think we've come too far. I really think we may have lost it.

14 comments:

  1. Our school sells the Smencils for a fundraiser. But I hear what you are saying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really not singling out the pencils. It's just that when I saw "gourmet" pencils at the store I just couldn't believe it. We really have too much stuff.

      Delete
  2. I keep feeling like this at the minute. Some of the stuff for sale is ridiculous. If I had "spare" money, I'd save it towards something I really wanted (probably a holiday), not buy some pongy pencils!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. exactly we just spend, spend, spend, buy, buy, buy and it seems we've stopped thinking about the purchases we make.

      Delete
  3. I'm all with you on this one. When a society can devote a whole store to just bath soap we have a problem.

    ReplyDelete
  4. New reader -- just read your last year - up to date now. I am also a Dave R follower.
    This is a quote I came across and am laminating and putting in my billfold and around the house "If you distill it down, all of our false concepts of need are based one single, unanswered question: “What will happen if I don’t get/buy/consume this thing?”"

    Congrats on the little one you will welcome this month. Hope you are feeling better.

    Jean - MN

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to have a new reader... thanks for commenting. Now that I'm done working I am feeling quite a bit better but I can hardly wait for the little guy to get here!

      Delete
  5. It's all bollocks...really. It's just another way retailers desperately try to separate us from our cash...playing to our ego and our need for something 'new'. Luckily we enlightened beings are able to look beyond that. Hope you're feeling well x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I feel like people need to get their little fingers and every single "new" thing their eyes behold. It's just gone too far.

      Delete
  6. My kids love Smencils. They also love fancy little erasers. Nothing wrong with a little whimsy in my book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not against fun. I just really couldn't believe it when I saw the gourmet pencils. You have to admit it sounds ridiculous... GOURMET pencils.

      Delete
  7. Ah, a fellow Brit (or Aussie?) up there. I agree - complete bollocks! If you are rich enough to buy scented pencils, than really, you probably have more money than you know what to do with!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. but that's just the point, most people buying gourmet pencils are probably in debt. We're crazy!

      Delete