As people we are all looking for the same basic thing in order to get by in life. We need to be needed, to be accepted, to be wanted so we tend to group with people who share a set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices. We become a cultivation of people all working and practicing to achieve them.
The difference? Location, Religion, and all those other things that politics finds important.
I love Europe, it's beautiful. The food is just...*drools* and the people, the people are happy. They don't own as much stuff, they don't pile on excessive work loads, and they know how to relax how to have time for themselves. I was walking around the south of Italy one day, looking for a place to eat. and everything was closed. So I peer into a window, there on the floor people are napping. Siesta. Why? Because work is tiring, it drains you, it's stressful and if we let it, it will get the best of you.
In France I walked into a house that was pretty empty, there was a couch, a couple bookshelves lining the walls (with beautiful antique books) and some paintings. No TV's, no electronics. When I asked why they simply smiled and walked me to their backyard. It was breathtaking. Lines of vegetables and fruits. Wooden swings and this beautiful brown fire pit. They told me that a home was for two things, sleeping and cooking, but the rest they did outside, they enjoyed the beauty of earth.
And here I am sitting on my $2000 Mac, in my bedroom, my TV is right next to me, my iPhone is on my lap. I have a Nook piled up on top of my overfilled bookshelf and a camera is charging on my windowsill and this is just my bedroom.
When I travel I look at the smiling faces and I always wonder, am I ever that happy or am I just consumed by all the little things in my life. I am envious of their culture and yet we have so much in common. We are all looking for something to make us happy, someone to love us (whether it be a friend or a lover). We all smile and cry. Take away the skin, the eyes, the hair and you see bones, muscle, arteries, a beating heart.
So we stick with the people that we were brought up to stick with by society and we form groups, cultures and yet we are all the same. Funny how that works isn't it?
I think its all relative. The French (and I'm not saying all French are like this) don't have a ton of stuff because they grew up not wanting/needing those things. The US (and Australia because I've been there) are very materialistic - a lot of cultures are and a lot aren't. It all depends on how you were brought up and your views on such things. The Amish don't use technology and they dont particularly need it. An Amish girl would go into your bedroom (or mine for that matter) and have no idea what to do where as a 'normal' American second grader knows that as soon as your take a picture he can see that picture and it can go his $2000 mac and be emailed to someone.
ReplyDeleteThe French you were referring to don't have any use for those things so they're not going to care about it.
Happiness is relative.
Agreed ^
ReplyDeleteAnd sadly people aren't like that everywhere in Europe. In Germany most people are real workaholics...
@alygator I definitley agree
ReplyDelete@moviemaniac80 I did notice that when talking to people in Germany. They complained a lot about how big of workaholics they really are.
I think the problem is in the idea that we 'deserve' happiness and that happiness is poorly defined. Would you be happy in that house in France- no Grey's?
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