We walk through life blinded by all the new toys available each day and numb from the constant bombardment of our senses by the advertisements surrounding us everywhere we go. We live in a world that runs on consumerism, the working class makes, sells and buys the majority of the products on the market but it’s the select few who become rich from it all. We allow our pursuit of happiness to be defined as having the newest and best products and we tend to put a lot of the really important things in life at a lower priority than they should be.
When I was growing up my parents didn’t focus on giving us the most expensive clothes or the biggest gifts during birthdays and holidays they focused move on making sure we were healthy, happy and that we knew what respect, love and family was about. They gave us freedom but they also laid down guidelines or rules to try to keep us out of trouble. They were not concerned if we kids had a A.T.V. like the neighbors kids and that taught us not to envy and not to be materialistic. Love is not the gifts your given, love is the gift in itself.
Like any parents they made mistakes, they didn’t teach us everything we needed to know to face the world but they did at least gave us a good foundation to start with.
The point I was trying to convey before I wandered off in my writing as I usually do is that my parents didn’t allow the distractions of life to get in the way of what was important, well at least 98% of the time. They did have a life outside of us kids at times but they tried hard not to let it interfere with our family and did what they could to include us in as much of it they could.
Life is full of flashing lights, bells, beeps and neat toys to distract us, we need to remember to refocus on the important things in life when those distractions come up.
Just some thoughts – 3/1/2013
Ray Barbier
amaeguerrero
iltbears
paintbrush200
Ray Barbier
