Another Spillage

From A.Word.A.Day: the word for today, October 3^rd: lugubrious

Mournful, dismal, especially in an exaggerated or affected manner.

Why do I think of a Bassett Hound? I love Bassett Hounds. They remind me of the way life should be. Nothing in a rush. Soft, floppy, easy. And I rather like the feel and the sound of lugubrious as well. The idea isn't so appealing. Strange—I like the word, but not what it stands for. Hmmm…..

I should be sleeping. I am not. Duh. I can sleepwalk through putting junk out on tables, trust me.

These garage sales serve to give me a good idea of just how much useless stuff we Americans collect on an average basis, myself included, though I'd like to think I wasn't quite as attached to "stuff" as others. But truth be told, I am. It's hard not to be living in a society that constantly pushes the biggest, baddest, newest, greatest gadgamawhatzit at every given opportunity. I've even noticed they throw in advertising in the little graphics they show on the football games now. I enjoyed the little yellow line overlaid on the field that showed me how far these crazy kids had to push (college; I'm not much into pro football). Then they started throwing in the advertising between the line of scrimmage and the first down point and I lost interest all together. The greed will never reach a limit. If a company can find a way to get their name on something somewhere, they'll move heaven and earth to do it. Who cares that there are people starving.

Back to stuff. There would be people on earth if they could see these tables who would be absolutely astounded that so much "stuff" existed. Would they find it beautiful, or would they think "what a serious pain in the neck to keep up with all this!"

Funny how we think "stuff" will fill holes in us that it never does. No wonder shopping is a favorite American pastime. Not only does it make for a "robust economy" it gives people something to do when they're failing at a relationship or don't know how to talk to the kids, or vice versa—don't know how to talk to the parents. I had a dear friend who traveled to St. Petersburg and stayed for a time and in one of her most treasured letters, she mentioned that the people there had so much more time for each other without the burden of a lot of things to work for and take care of. I firmly believe there's something to that. Oklahoma is so eager to leave behind a slow, agricultural feel, for what? More high rises, more congestion, higher prices—the "real" life. Says who? Sometimes I feel we are on this huge wheel and slowly but surely it's sped up every so often. The more I read about how the schools need longer days, longer school years, less "play" time, the happier I am that my children are grown and I don't have to fight the institutions just to have time together as a family. Play is important for kids! Kids of all ages! We can learn a lot that way. Somehow we've come to this idea that if it's fun, it can't possibly be anything important. What a waste. Kids can't even play tag anymore because they're too fragile inside to withstand being "it." What are we doing to the kids? Are we really so in love with the idea of making money that we no longer have time to play with our kids? Around here they strongly encourage putting your kids in school at three. THREE! What does that do to a family? How can the bond be as strong as it was back with kids worked alongside their parents throughout most of a day? I understand that there are some who really have no choice, and others who make the choice not to go in this direction. I just find fault with the idea that it's universally good for kids to be thrown together and "taught" by their peers and other adults more than they are their parents. No wonder we have kids who are so peer dependent that they can't choose a safer path unless they're willing to undergo the pain and ridicule of their "socialized" counterparts. Goodness. It's a mess.

I wish I could think of something else to write, but I am so tired it would probably become lugubrious if I continued. So tonight you get a measly 797 words, and you're probably very grateful, aren't you? Or would you have been more grateful 500 or so words ago? LOL! You never know what you're getting into around here. You've been warned!