BRAINWASHED

We didn’t even notice.

A time not long ago, the news came on the black and white television for 30-minutes at the dinner hour. We sat at our TV trays and watch a fuzzy screen of a guy reading a sheet of paper with all local and whatever national news could be scraped up. Another guy would stand up in front of a map with a bunch of H and L’s on it and tell some jokes about what might happen tomorrow. Then to end it all up some other guy would talk about the local high school teams for the national scores had to wait for the newspaper to print.

Then it was onto nightly entertainment until 9 PM when the station shutdown. The next news event would be the next night at the same time.

But the media wasn’t done yet. The three networks started an early morning news show. Bright smiling faces shared their coffee with you to start the day with a repeat of the nightly news and most important traffic report. We still depended on the radio to announce if schools were closed due to snow.

With advances in technology and more free time, our culture has become absorbed with what is now described as ‘news’. On any device imaginable, a steady stream of news, weather, sports and opinions are sent out 24/7 to keep the public well informed.

Any event from a presidential assassination to a political downfall to a natural disaster or a sports event can be viewed instantaneously to satisfy our curiosity. The question is ‘Are we more informed citizens of global events or are we being brainwashed?’

As we find a news source that matches our taste for information / entertainment, we tend to stay with it. As the formatting changes we continue to believe whatever and whoever is presenting their particular slant on the factual events of the day. Journalism and Marketing have always been separate entities that never cross (like church and state) but you see that line is becoming fuzzy. Every clip is sponsored and with the cash comes a commitment to please. Even the reflection in the voice or facial expressions can sway the audience’s perception.

To brainwash is to indoctrinate, condition, reeducate, persuade, influence, propagandize, and inculcate different beliefs by using systematic repetition.

Time to shut down.

Who The Hell Taught You That?

Everything we do; we’ve learned. Someone else either showed up how or we picked it up accidentally from listening or watching or experiencing along the way.

Our family was probably our first influence to knowledge. Our mom and dad (either together or separately) had to cover the basics of life. How to poop in a bowl or choose the correct utensil or sleep when we get cranky and wake up with the sun were all taught by our family first.

Then there were the secondary teachings no one documents. How mom and dad interact and their mannerisms and accents and vocal expressions mold our future society encounters. Even siblings form our small world and for better or worse are our closest friends. Brothers and sisters are not adults. The interplay of these people during our formative years teach us how to react to conflict, holidays, discipline, affection, conformity, values and even faith.

Cousins are our second teachers. They are still part of a family name but were raised by different adults in other locations. Cousins expand our society and whether we like them or not, we must accept them and their new ideas and ways.

Once of an age where we can dress ourselves the adults send us to formal education. In another building a group of kids that are the same age are assigned to sit at desk and follow a process of instruction and testing to accomplish a pre-determined curriculum. Basic skills of reading, writing, and math are repeatedly drummed into a classroom until we responded with the correct answer. Grades were given for parents to review how smart their kids were. For the first time, more than our behavior at home was judging us.

As we grew up and continued the routine of going to school in the fall and lasting through the winter only for a break in the summer, we followed more complicated instructions building upon what we should have learned in an early grade. We, mere children, were being asked to use our learned data and actually think.

Outside influences were also seeping into our knowledge base. Radio, television, new friends, books, magazines, and ultimately hormones were changing our views, ideas and shoe sizes. We started to focus on certain cultural, scientific, historical, artistic and even religionist thoughts that could become a future career. Chemistry might have been interesting but biology was much more curious in the backseat of a car.

University offered us the ideas of philosophy, sociality, psychology, and all the other ‘ologys that expanded our thought process, yet we were already biased by years of previous learning repetition filtering our conclusions. Unlike children who have no power to act on their thoughts, we have the aforementioned knowledge and now the age to make our own decisions. We can vote and find gainful employment and promote our skills and purchase expensive items and even decide or agree to live with another.

Unfortunately we never get taught how to raise a family or pay late charges or tolerate unpleasant neighbors or traffic jams or disinterested bosses or uncaring wives or naughty children….

Yet the question is ‘Who the hell taught you that?’

All those bad habits we have learned over the years along with algebra, strategic initiatives and quantum physics are part of our personality. A potty mouth could be associated to a cousin or a co-worker who didn’t have a complete understanding of the Queen’s English. Raising your leg when you fart could be an initiation to a team tradition or observed and copied from an adult. Even the worst or best meal may give us digestion discomfort but do we belch and laugh? Kids will flick boogers and enjoy the action until punished for bad behavior, but the lesson has already been learned.

The next cold or flu or just sinus infection may cause mucus to flow and we revert to our baby habits. Pick you nose with pride. Someone taught you that.

Did You Ever Wonder?

Not so much about the stars or the answer to a math question or how a pizza can get made and delivered in a half hour, but those strange questions that come to mind. This is why the Internet was created. This is what Google is for.

Not so much of why the city doesn’t fill that pothole at the end of the street but what is that stuff they fill it with and does it get into the water table and why doesn’t it last longer? Not if the window is leaking air but will the window last another year before replacing it? Not so much of wondering if Christmas will be on the 25^th but thinking about those presents in the wrapped boxes and wondering is that enough?

The brain is an interesting organ that not only processes thousands of thoughts and sending answers to questions like should I poop now or is this hot or is this love or indigestion? The brain also comes up with poetry and songs and weird scientific ideas of gravity or the proper mixes of gravy.

Why do we question so many things? We want to solve the mysteries of Sherlock or ponder the interpretations of our beliefs or even ponder the instructions on the side of the box and think that is not enough time in the microwave.

We can numb our wanderings through the conscious but when it comes back, we start to wonder all over again. We can’t help ourselves. Is there a difference in signing in foreign languages? How do you apply an accent? Once a cake falls, can you get it back up? If a woman were the Pope, would she be the Popess? Why did you shoe size shift from 10 to 13 when they ere manufactured overseas? Does your grass grow faster than your hair?

Perhaps our specialized education is supposed to give us enough background on a particular field to focus on one subject to wonder. The more knowledge we gain only creates more questions than answers. Yet our intelligence can have conflicts with emotions and swayed by other influences.

So as long as we wonder we will keep our mind active and alive so I guess it is a good thing. Why is the sky blue? Is my blue the same as your blue? How high is the sky?

Our algorithms calculate a world of wonder to conceive and to contemplate. Could I wear a brown suit with black shoes? Could I wear a blue suit with brown shoes? If I say what she wants to hear, do I really mean it? Does she understand what I am trying to say? What am I trying to say?

You Stink!

You can’t help it. We all have a certain aroma that defines us.

There is an industry to try and block our odor but they wash off and we come back to our own stink.

If we work out or even a struggle with yard work, our bodies can create a stench. Once the gnats start swirling and others move away it is time to take control of your own odor.

Yet our BO defines us as much as our height, hair or eyes color. Those close to us will accept our unique fragrance and tolerate our personal stink.

Animals seem to us personal stink to clarify items and situations and even individuals, but we try to disguise ourselves in acceptable scents. We even light candles and purchase devices to fill a room with vanilla or cinnamon or pine to cover our stink.

So enjoy this season of holly and wreaths and homemade goodies and oven cooking wafting through the air. It won’t smell this good until spring when the windows can be opened.

Until then lots of air fresheners and watch the burritos. That stink nobody likes.

Look In The Mirror

What do you see?

Everyone has them; some more than others. Some have them in every room. Everyone has them in the bathroom. Some are long and tall and some are on tables with lights.

And when you look in one what do you see?

Every morning we brush out teeth or shave or comb our hair or just stare to wakeup to that face. Everyday the image is a history of our time. That is unless you are a vampire.

What if you took all the looking glass away? How would you tell if your hair is combed or if you have a big pimple on your nose or if your tie is on straight? How would you know if that jacket fits with that blouse with that skirt? How in the world would you put on makeup or shave?

You could try and catch a glass in a store window or a car windshield or even a puddle. If people look at you and then avert their eyes, you know you did it wrong but it is too late.

All the looking glasses have been removed from my house for painting. I need to shave. How will I do that? Is there an app? Will the selfie camera on the phone work? Maybe it is time to grow a beard?

Knock! Knock!

Who’s there?

With all the talk of migrations and refugees and security concerns and all that, I’ve got to ask a personal question.

“Would you let them into your house?”

There is always a ‘them’ for if it was an ‘us’ we’d be knocking on the door.

I will not get into political wrangling or religious woes but will relate some personal experiences.

Back in the day, the census was taken by people going house-to-house knocking on the door with a clipboard of questions. Since you knew they were coming and the government said it was “OK” and they looked like ‘us’ we’d let them into our living rooms and offer them a cup of coffee while answering their questions that would now be termed personal surveillance. People selling encyclopedias and vacuum cleaners would also knock offering bargains not available at the local department store. Even people who were in traffic accidents would knock asking to use the landline phone (yes, kids, there was a time of no cell phones).

But at night the locks were latched providing safety to the family.

Neighbors and family were always welcomed into the house. Kids were brought in for birthday parties and sleepovers with no fear or anxiety. Business partners and their guest were invited to share the stores of alcohol and burn the carpet for it was what was necessary to climb the corporate ladder. Backyard barbeques welcome complete strangers to explore your sanctuary and use the facilities without question.

Some even adopted through churches or other charitable organizations strangers to become part of a family. It was a symbol of pride in our global conciseness and community compassion and personal humanity. There is probably something written in all those religious teachings about opening the door but I can’t give you chapter or verse.

There are also extended family members we welcome into our humble abodes to throw up hairballs and pee at the most inappropriate times but we love them.

There is a bit of trust that must be displayed to welcome a stranger into your personal space. It is human psychology to feel threaten by the unknown until a trusting association can be established; yet overwhelming fear and rejection only shows a cowards attempt to expand social understanding.

Remember you let these guys in and then call the exterminator.

So when ‘they’ come knocking, what will you do? Open the door with welcoming arms or turn out the lights and hide in silence until ‘they’ go away.

And next time ‘you’ might be on the other side of the door.

You’re Entitled

If you have some extra money after your bills are paid or have good credit to purchase what you can’t afford or have a linage of someone who long ago was important or hold a position of power in an organization, are you entitled?

If you buy the ticket are you entitled to take a seat and watch a show? If you spend extra money, are you entitled to be closer to the stage? Your money entitles you to a better seat?

We all have egos but believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment goes a bit too far. We all come in the same way and we all go out the same way.

Yet there are some, perhaps too many, who feel they have a right to go to the front of the line. For whatever reason, the rest of us let them butt in and get away with it. We might complain, but we do not take any action. Who is at fault?

Being born into an accepting society without fear or want makes a difference. Having the privilege to attend the best schools and churches and shop at the finest retail establishments and be served at the acclaimed dining venues we held our heads up proud due to the color of your skin because it made a difference.

Our people have decided we were entitled to poke holes in our ground, disembowel our mountains, pollute our waters, slaughter our animal neighbors, make waste of our forest. Because we are entitled we can fill our lands with plastic non-biodegradable waste, choke our breathing in our insatiable need to travel and treat half our species as second-rate citizens of this blue marble.

With all our efforts and our well-earned accolades, we are all entitled to die. I guess that is the biggest reward of all.

PS. Those are some fine threads and jewelry folks.