The World We Live In

A sad state of affairs

Written by Darren Tanguay

What can I say other than this Real World we live in is just a satire of what true existence should be. Many of life's daily occurrences have begun to shock me, whether it is in regards to music, books or just about anything for that matter. Allow me to elaborate a little:

For some time now I have been looking for a fairly popular album from the Mid-nineties, yet all I seem to find is a veritable plethora of Britney Spears and Ashley Simpson. In my opinion the kind of mind numbing crap that I would use as psychological torture on only my most despised of adversaries.

I walked up to the counter at a record store and enquired about the album to only to hear, "Oh, we don't carry that, we only carry what's popular". I think I died a little inside when I heard the clerk tell me this. Then again, what can you say about a place that doesn't even have Offspring ~ Smash. The pimple ridden teen had not even heard of the band that sold more records as an independent label then anyone else, EVER.

Why, you ask was I out looking for an album I once owned? I'll tell you. One day someone decided that he/she needed my CD's more than I did. The thought that enrages me the most is that the person who stole the CD's was probably not so unlike the above-mentioned teen. He/She most likely tossed the majority of them because they had never heard it before. With no consideration to the person who was the original owner of the CD's. Then again, a thief usually isn't the most considerate person alive to begin with.

Likewise; on another day I was downtown at a Coles bookstore. This time I was in pursuit of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I briefly checked the Fiction section and could not seem to find it, so once again I asked a clerk. To which his response was "Who?"

Just then a little more of me died inside. All five Harry Potter books damn near had an entire row to themselves, but not one copy of any Wells novels. Luckily for me, I can special order a copy. At this point there were several choice words running through my mind that I kept to myself; to do otherwise would be very un-Canadian (or un-polite if you will).

(For the record I have read and enjoyed all five Harry Potter books, but this is merely to prove a point)

It makes me ill to think that people simply accept what is given to them. In reality there is much to be learned from the past, of which the current generation of teens knows little or nothing about. If you can actually find a World War II veteran, ask them what their thoughts on war are. I think you will be very surprised at the response you receive; also keeping in mind that World War II was supposed to be the war to end all wars. You wouldn't think so with how things have been in the past decade. It almost seems like those good old values have been lost somewhere between our grandparents' age and ours. Allow me to elaborate some more:

My mother is easily one of the nicest people I know. She gets along with everybody (no really, everybody); so much so that she is still very good friends with one of my brothers ex-girlfriends. Thing is, he's NOT (hello dysfunctional family).

Anyway, she accidentally rubbed another vehicle while backing out of a parking stall. Most people would have just drove away, seeing as it was only a scratch, but she left a note with her name, number and address. That evening she received a call from a lady who spent at least fifteen minutes tearing a strip up one side of her and down the other. Naturally this prompted a retort. The only thing good old mom had to say once the caller was finished with her rant was: "It's people like you that make people like me think twice about stopping to leave their information".

While people (especially Canadians, of course) are still fairly polite, they are almost in all cases no longer considerate of one another. Everybody is 'looking out for number one' these days. Sad to think that we have become so far removed as a society that most people walking by a crime would turn a blind eye, seeing as it does not concern them at that particular time.

I think Bif Naked summed it up best in a little poem called Eine Tasse Tea:

"We are a complacent, apathetic society... ...We are all squirrels hoarding for ourselves."

We rape and pillage the earth with no consideration for future generations. Simply put, all for our own personal gain. I guess what it all comes down to living for the now. Why worry about tomorrow when we can have fun today. Our children and their children don't matter, because I'm having a good time.

Hunter S. Thompson was by no means a model citizen, but he was a very intelligent man, or at least he was before he went through enough drugs to kill a small elephant (or perhaps a large hippo). In 2003 he said something that shocked me as I read it. Not because I had no idea any of this existed, but because I had not really given it much thought.

"I am surprised and embarrassed to be a part of the first American (and Canadian) generation to leave the country in far worse shape than it was when we first came into it. Our highway system is crumbling, our police are dishonest, our children are poor, our vaunted Social Security ... has been looted and neglected and destroyed by the same gang of ignorant greed-crazed bastards who brought us Vietnam, Afghanistan, the disastrous Gaza Strip and ignominious defeat all over the world ... Our Armies will never again be No. 1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of our lives ... Big Darkness, soon come."

The darkness did overcome him shortly thereafter, may god rest his soul. Despite that fact I believe he was hoping for darkness on a much larger scale than his own demise. Sadly, there are days when I almost agree with him.

Society is decaying so fast it would make the half life of radio active waste look like it's moving at a snail pace. Yet we all sit back and do nothing. Maybe it's time to start thinking for ourselves and try to make a difference. Who knows, it might just pay off in the long run.

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