Monday, June 19, 2006
Monday June 19th 2006
It is a beautiful, hot day here in NYC and I am parked between writing segments for a kid show and figured I toss a little something onto the blog to serve as my second entry.
I wonder a lot about this society. Not obsessively mind you, but what the hell, I'm surrounded by it so I give it a whirl every now and then. Mostly I muse about how we as a people managed to become so incredibly shallow over such a short period of time. Look at it, we have only been in existence for roughly three hundred and fifty years and yet in that short amount of time we've been able to grow into one of the least likeable peoples on the earth.
Now, I know you are going to say:
"Your assesment of us as a people is not entirely fair since you spent so much time in Florida and everyone knows that if culture, decency, respect and the willingness to bestow our fellow man with dignity has a black hole where there is no ability to escape, it's Florida."
I know you're going to say that and to some respect you are right. Living in Florida, dealing with the type of folk that tend to over populate that state with their need for swallowing whole all sense of what is good about us as a species, has to some extent affected my view of our society as a whole. But, examples of crappy behavior are beginning in Florida and working as a human version of the African Killer Bee by spreading northward at an alarming rate.
I think perhaps this is because Florida remains a catch basin for the detritus of the nation. When the Midwest and Northeast shower, the dirt runs down the drain to be deposited in the sewers of two bedroom two bath condos and gated communities between West Palm and South Beach.
I know this seems like another Florida rant and to some extent I think so, but remember, people are moving to Florida in stupid numbers. Something like a million new residents every six weeks or so if not faster. And these new people are coming from to Florida all over the country, hence I feel justified in the latitude taken to say that our society in a whole is in trouble.
All I really look for from other people is for them not to act as if they are the only ones walking the planet. Which is not a whole lot to ask, unless of course you happen to be in Delray Beach, Florida. The ground zero of the "New America". The obnoxious, America that bitches about the poor in the street as opposed to reaching out to help. The America of spending more time worrying on their dogs, their dog's hair, their dog's diet and so help me God, their dog's separation anxiety than they do the people who share the planet with them.
I'm not saying we all have to go out and volunteer to save Darfur. I'm just saying we need to develop some sense of place with our fellow travelers. Some kind of connection that doesn't include bitching and moaning about every other race of people walking the planet execpt for those who are American, white and have money.
PS:
I know that these particularly snobbish and selfish folks are all over the country, but in the end, I guess I do love picking on Florida.
It is a beautiful, hot day here in NYC and I am parked between writing segments for a kid show and figured I toss a little something onto the blog to serve as my second entry.
I wonder a lot about this society. Not obsessively mind you, but what the hell, I'm surrounded by it so I give it a whirl every now and then. Mostly I muse about how we as a people managed to become so incredibly shallow over such a short period of time. Look at it, we have only been in existence for roughly three hundred and fifty years and yet in that short amount of time we've been able to grow into one of the least likeable peoples on the earth.
Now, I know you are going to say:
"Your assesment of us as a people is not entirely fair since you spent so much time in Florida and everyone knows that if culture, decency, respect and the willingness to bestow our fellow man with dignity has a black hole where there is no ability to escape, it's Florida."
I know you're going to say that and to some respect you are right. Living in Florida, dealing with the type of folk that tend to over populate that state with their need for swallowing whole all sense of what is good about us as a species, has to some extent affected my view of our society as a whole. But, examples of crappy behavior are beginning in Florida and working as a human version of the African Killer Bee by spreading northward at an alarming rate.
I think perhaps this is because Florida remains a catch basin for the detritus of the nation. When the Midwest and Northeast shower, the dirt runs down the drain to be deposited in the sewers of two bedroom two bath condos and gated communities between West Palm and South Beach.
I know this seems like another Florida rant and to some extent I think so, but remember, people are moving to Florida in stupid numbers. Something like a million new residents every six weeks or so if not faster. And these new people are coming from to Florida all over the country, hence I feel justified in the latitude taken to say that our society in a whole is in trouble.
All I really look for from other people is for them not to act as if they are the only ones walking the planet. Which is not a whole lot to ask, unless of course you happen to be in Delray Beach, Florida. The ground zero of the "New America". The obnoxious, America that bitches about the poor in the street as opposed to reaching out to help. The America of spending more time worrying on their dogs, their dog's hair, their dog's diet and so help me God, their dog's separation anxiety than they do the people who share the planet with them.
I'm not saying we all have to go out and volunteer to save Darfur. I'm just saying we need to develop some sense of place with our fellow travelers. Some kind of connection that doesn't include bitching and moaning about every other race of people walking the planet execpt for those who are American, white and have money.
PS:
I know that these particularly snobbish and selfish folks are all over the country, but in the end, I guess I do love picking on Florida.
# posted by Unknown @ 8:08 AM 
