Journal Entry 4

Erik Assadourian’s article was actually something that has been running across my mind quite a bit lately. Will the United States ever be able to break this mold of consumerism? It really is all in our heads, how we perceive things, things that we want, not what we need. I think about my uncle who absolutely loves things. Yes, things, a boat, large house, movie theatre, nice cars, and I wonder, would he ever be able to change his lifestyle? What would people think if they went to their local grocery store and it was “out” of salmon for the day, or didn’t have any fresh ham? I can picture it now, a mid-thirties Caucasian woman, getting ready to buy the meal to make for her family (not saying woman make all of the meals or they are always white, this is just what I’m picturing) and the guy working behind the deli counter tells her “no, sorry mam, that shipment is coming in next week, but would you like to try today’s meat of the day? A delicious honey glazed ham, killed today!”… Outrage. She asks for the store manager, yelling about how she should be able to buy salmon, or chicken, or cow, or pig, any time of the week! Yes, that is how it goes in my head, I don’t think we can do it. As Assadourian says, consumerism has become so engrained in our heads, such a part of our culture, there is no turning back now.
The only way I see it, and apparently Erik Assadourian sees it, is through education. We must begin educating our youth as to what is necessary for a healthy lifestyle and what is not. We need to explain to people that they are being bombarded with images and ideas every minute of every day and that they need to be aware of it. This exposure that we are getting as a human nation to products and consumption is killing our planet. Of course we need outfits for every day of the month, or year. And of course we need a car for when it snows, and for when its warm, and when we have to drive a lot of kids, and one to tow the boat, and one to haul the big rocks and lead around that we need because we are doctors. It is all about a mindset, a culture, which I do not believe we will be willing to break. What is so wrong about wearing a shirt twice or three times in one week? People will say that is gross, and that is our culture, saying that it is wrong or different. Unfortunately it is not really the fault of the people entirely that they are buying and buying and buying. How would they know better when that is all they see growing up? It is unfortunate. I will do my part and educate my kids, and if I am a teacher one day my students. Maybe if people are drowning or displaced people will start to take notice? I hope it doesn’t have to come to that, but who knows. It took an earth quake that killed 200,000 people for the outside world to notice the people of Haiti. We’ll see I guess.