Pet Peeves, Reflections of Being in The United States Today

I live a bit; differently; I chose my lifestyle. I live in the rural countryside, within a country that has had its traumas. To me, this is still too close to town; however, that is a work in progress. Unfortunately, snapping your fingers and having what you want does not exist, no matter how much you think it does.

I have been on vacation with my family this week, and I love them to death; they accept that I am a bit eccentric. As my uncle told me today, it is about time; you know, you are ¨eccentric¨. I said ¨no way; I am; I can not believe you are saying this¨ he laughed as he knew I was being sarcastic since it is my second language.

He said ¨you have not changed since you were about four years old. You choose how to live your life your way, which is admirable¨. He said ¨there are so many people in this world who are too lazy to do what they want with their life and end up sad, miserable, and unhappy. Not a life that someone else tells you that you have to live¨. I said I agreed.

He went on to ask me if I was happy living in LA, working a million jobs, and making a lot of money; I said no. That is why I quit. He said you did the right thing.

My uncle has always understood me since he always says I am like my father, his brother. The rest of my family feels similar, with a few outliers who will never understand, and I don’t waste my breath on them anymore. We get together, have a good time, and then go our separate ways.

I also do not get most of my family as much as I love them. I have been going crazy with the food waste, the sense that whenever you need something, it will always be there, and at the touch of a fingertip, you have whatever you need.

I think of life so differently now. The first day we got here, I went around the house collecting all the water bottles and pouring them into each other, so they did not go to waste. I also wondered why they bought water bottles when you can drink the tap water.

I also did this with juices; I do not care if the kids take one sip, leave it, and then get a new one. It made me crazy, yet I was the only one who noticed. So I keep combining; also, I wouldn’t say I like food waste; I hate throwing food away. The excessiveness is insane.

The kids eat half and throw the rest away; it makes me want to pull my hair out, so I give them as little as possible, and if they want more, they can ask for more.

Cutting food waste is a delicious way of saving money, helping to feed the world and protect the planet.

— Tristram Stuart

When I saw online from afar what is happening here in the US with food prices, gas prices, and inflation, I stupidly thought maybe you would see a change, more consciousness about what is going on. Well, that is incorrect.

Nothing has changed, except things have gotten more expensive, and a lot of people will grumble talking about prices going up, but has anything truly changed?

In my opinion of what I have seen, my answer is no. Well, that is not 100% true; my uncle, an army vet, and his wife, he was raised by my grandmother, who survived the depression, are very aware of what is happening, and have changed their ways. Also my sisters have started gardening, and one has chickens, small steps, so they are listening.

Yet most of us, including my generation, think that ¨that will never happen, the ability to have what I want when I want will never go away¨. Will it, who knows, yet I can speculate. In the age of surplus, we want it; we get it; end of the story, thank you, credit cards.

Do I think this is about to blow up in our faces? Yes, I do. I have felt this for the past six or so years. We live in a state of ups and downs. We get used to all things comfortable and easy. The thought of something going wrong, we sweep it under the rug. Not all, I know!

In my visit here, I have seen many people go about their business, shopping, buying, and I think ¨do you need that?¨

If it’s broken, buy a new one; if you don’t like it, buy a new one, this thought process that exists makes me insane.

After being gone for so long, I feel removed from this bubble. I sometimes want to take a needle and pop it, which I have tried, and can not. The walking dead is accurate, and it is already here.

Does anyone else notice this?

Those who do notice are yelling from the rooftops, and it’s like there is another soundproof bubble. I have not stopped but I have bought my ticket home, this life that I admit I once had, and was blinded is one that I will never return to.

I have already been planning how to use less, grow more of my food, and become more self-sustainable. Rely less on the external and more on myself.

I also have to admit; that I think this down we are in, is needed. Mother nature has been poking at us like a bear, and we are not listening. Humans think they can control everything, they can not.

She is the ultimate deciding factor, yet I feel that so many forget this. Especially being here, the divide between nature and humans is vast.

It is like they are afraid to interact with her, yet she gives us life and allows us to live here. That is just the tip of the iceberg.

Listen, you do not have to believe the world is ending to be more conscious of your decisions. I do not think the world is ending; it is changing but not ending.

Will you adapt to the needed changes or keep kicking and screaming that you need your 3rd iPad because you do and can afford it? Great, do you want a medal?

Do you need to update your phone because it is a year old?

Do you ever think of where the waste goes?

Does it disappear into the distance?

No, it is sitting in a landfill somewhere and destroying mother earth.

I love coming home; I go shopping. My sisters give me all the clothes they grew out of or don’t like. It’s perfect for me.

I will continue to talk and write about this, even though so many will roll their eyes and say yes, you told us already. A broken record, but that record keeps going around, as will I.

I also think that the only thing that has changed in my life is me; everyone has remained the same; I didn’t see it clearly until I stepped out of the matrix.

XOXO

S

Originally published on Medium. Follow me on Youtube.