Masters of an Alternate Universe

Are we? Do we want to be? Should we be?

I have actually lived in a a few idyllic places on this planet (at least they were still idyllic when I lived there).

We have also visited some , in recent years. What always strikes me is this.

The "locals", no matter how poor they are, seem to always have a smile to share. The children, no matter how shabbily (by our standards) dressed, and poorly shod, seem to be ready to play, and everything they can grasp becomes a toy.

Our rampant capitalism/consumerism drives us to achieve, achieve, and then when we are done..achieve some more. Buy that bigger, shinier, faster, better, newer, more improved, more pixilated, zoomier gadget. Get more new clothes, more new shoes, more gizmos for the home. House too small for the stuff? Buy a BIGGER one.

The one flaw is this..

Out here in La-La-Land, people go to bed at 8PM so they can hit the freeways at 4 AM and creep at 10 mph , to arrive at a job most of them hate. They watch that clock, so they can get back on the creepway at 4 or 5, only to arrive "home" at 6 or 6:30 PM (if there are no accidents that day).. They scarf down dinner and watch a little TV, and start the rat race all over.

They may have "paid" $400K for that "lovely home", but the only one getting any real use from it is the family dog. Middle-agers are probably pretty zonked out by the time the weekend comes, so that beautiful yard is probably "tended to" by others. Moms who commute to jobs, spend their weekends doing laundry, cleaning and trying to have some family time with kids who , along with the dog/cat spend a lot of time as virtual "orphans".

Have we really gained much?

Most people do not have extra money left over for savings, and most are in credit card debt too, so what are we getting for our efforts?

Houses we never spend much time in, kids we rarely see, sleep we miss out on, lousy fast foods because no one's cooking much these days.. cars we can no longer afford to buy gas for..

Maybe...if we are lucky, we may actually take a vacation to somewhere else.. Perhaps to an idyllic place where the locals seem so poor by comparison.. and if we wander past the lush compounds of the 5-star wonderland, we might marvel at how on earth they survive with no car, and so many children, jammed into such a small, ugly house. How do they manage to live such a hand-to-mouth existence.. and why are they smiling?

Tô morrendo de saudade do Brasil!! ... o sertão!!! os sertanejos!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: