it occurred to me more than several times over the past weekend just how excessive we are. we say we live in the "land of possibilities", but really it's just a land of excessiveness. get what you want, when you want, and there's no looking back.
we demand our lattes every morning. we complain about not having enough *name your store* in our areas. by our thirties, we have paid more for our college education than probably anything else we've owned (does anyone else think supply and demand got a little out of whack here, or is it just me?). we think having a wedding under $10k is a good deal. and then, we turn around and teach our children to share in this attitude.
we have a million different versions of what a shirt should look like. for all different body types, frames, and styles. you can find EXACTLY what you are looking for if you look hard enough. take for example this H&M store we came across while walking around Vegas. it's literally THREE stories tall.
do we really need a three story H&M? probably not. did my friends and i really need to do a detailed comb through of all three floors? probably not.
okay, okay, i know what you're thinking. you're thinking that i am a walking contradiction because i gave in to this excessiveness. going to Vegas merely adds to precisely what i am talking about here -- granted it was to celebrate my birthday AND my friend's birthday... (and, that's just efficiency, in my opinion).
i mean, Vegas is fun if you like people, gambling, drinking, smoking, shopping, clubs, spas, swimming pools, museums, and seeing pretty lights (EVERYWHERE). then there's the other part to Vegas; the not-so-moderate-nothing-but-excessive-and-addictive gambling, drinking, "gentlemen's clubs", nude pics; and the like.
and then i realize under all this hatred for all things excessive, i find within myself my own excessive nature. i try to stress simplicity in my life, until i open my closet doors to put in the new clothes i just bought and realize my closet is stuffed full of clothes. i have to give myself rules that state for every new item, one item must be donated. but, it still seems like that doesn't work! i still have boxes and boxes full of stuff that haven't been touched in over a YEAR. and, isn't there a law out there somewhere saying if you haven't touched it in a year, you don't need it? so, shouldn't i just burn down these boxes?
what is the real deal with this excessive nature? why do we rely on having more than the necessary amount of things? is it really comforting to us, or is it suffocating us? does this speak to a larger problem? is something innate trying to tell us something (was Plato right?)? what is it that we are truly missing?
and, as i prepare for bed while sitting under the covers and duvet on my bed, i can't help but wonder, why do we rely on being excessive?
