Let's Play a Game....

It is somewhat of a take on 'Who Would You Do', but not exactly. In the comments section, each person pick a movie locale or setting where you would like to have a few days to explore on your own. Basically pick a movie you’d like to hang around in for a week or two....kind of like a vacation.

Here are the rules. Pick ONE film and ONE specific setting. This can be any movie, and any time in history. We are assuming that you have money to spend in the movie setting/location. Of course, some movies have multiple settings, and some do not...but once a film has been taken, no other setting can be taken from that movie. Obviously, just like 'Who Would You Do’, try to give a reasonable justification for why you picked the movie and location you did. Once you pick a place, you must wait until at least one other person has gone before you can go again. I will go first….

Slave to the Man

I had a wonderful evening last night...thanks T & M! ...spent with friends over good food and drinks and relaxing, if not slightly sophomoric and x-rated conversation.

It was one of those rare moments spent without my children when the "adults" come out to play and let their hair down. Last night I was challenged (bring it on- G) to post to the blog and I was trying to think of something to say and nothing fabulous came to me. If you want me to rant and foam at the mouth about the government I'd need a few more drinks in me and I believe that my employer would frown on that (although perhaps a blog post would not be much more favorably viewed). Anyway, here goes....

Slave to the Man! vs. Slave to the Man?

I like to think of myself as progressive, free spirited, globally aware, and somewhat politically astute but other times I think I'm just a hypocrite in sheep's clothing. I often research ways to live on less, go green...simplify... but the very next day I am counting my cash and wistfully striving to afford the American dream...better house...cooler clothes...trendier car...more "things" etc...the list goes on. Wants become needs and suddenly I'm whining because of all that I don't have.

Or one day I will dream of early retirement or quitting my job and living self-sufficiently off grid on a quiet piece of land or on some exotic paradise in a grass hut selling seashells to tourists without the burden of materialistic possessions and the next day I'm jumping onto that treadmill and sweating getting my Master's degree so I can continue to play the "game" of getting ahead in this society.

Now I know that there are bigger problems out there and I am in no way ignoring the improtance of those issues or trying to make this particular dilema seem all-important compared to "real" problems but I find that it's a significant issue with me. I'm of two minds. It's my own internal inner struggle and I was wondering if anyone else feels it. It's a war between living responsibly and living selfishly. Keeping up with the Gores versus keeping up with the Jones. Run versus walk. Paring down versus building up. Classics versus pulp fiction. A dreamer enterpreneur versus a time-clock baby. Even lethargy and apathy versus mania. (That's a fun one!) If my pattern of behavior sometimes seems inconsistent to the outside observer, it may be because I have not found my "path" on this issue(s) and I'm still a slave to the multiple, countradicting messages that are put out there.

To sum it up using the world of the Smashing Pumpkins- "Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage."

Does this make any sense? I may just be overtired from staying up late last night or it could be that I spent all my energy clipping coupons, who knows? (Note: Quite possibly i's the PMS talking- I tend to get quite maudlin this time of the month. ) Does anyone else ever feel this way?