Consumer Consumed

I was sorting the recycling the other day and it really does say a lot about you... As anyone that knows me would guess it largely consisted of empty Coke cans. But there were several Kleenex boxes as well... from the congestion I've been experiencing for a while now. Add to that a number of empty cans of Pringles, a sign of one of the current addictions. And you can't forget the empty KFC boxes. Mmm... Toonie Tuesdays. Reminds me of being in school. Made for a cheap meal then too. I realized that there is a lot of waste. Sure I might be recycling it but there is still a lot being consumed.

The items in the recycling bin tell a story about who I am... and what I buy into. But you just have to look around my apartment to see the consumer culture at work. There are Coke bottles being used as decorations. By the door are not one but two pairs of Nike shoes. I've already mentioned that my closet is just full of brand names. But it's not just in clothes. Brand names abound. I have Martha Stewart bedding and towels. And just look in my kitchen cupboards. Even those items that undoubtedly taste the same but cost less because they lack a brand name are nowhere to be found. Instead there are Lipton Sidekicks, Black Diamond cheese slices, Cheerios, etc. I've bought into the propaganda... errr... marketing.... that if it is made by a known company then it somehow "must" be better. You relate to the brand name.

But no matter what I own materialism does not bring with it happiness. And while I might be laying my head on a Sealy bed at night no one but me (well now anyone that is reading this) would know that. And I know that Azrael doesn't care that he's currently lying on a Harley Davidson blanket. As long as he gets attention and his bowl filled with Iams every couple of days he is quite content.

Likewise the people that really care about me don't really care if I am wearing the latest fashion line from the Gap (which in my case just might be Gap kids). In fact most of them probably wouldn't even notice what I was wearing. As long as I have clothes on and they don't look really hideous.... Maybe I should try that and see who notices. The hideous clothes that is... not being completely naked. Love my friends and all but not quite that much. *lol*

Slave to Fashion

If you take a look in my closet you will quickly see that it is filled with brand names. In adolescence I thought that my identify was defined by what I wore. Even now I feel like I have an easier time being accepted with my Gap jeans on and my Club Monaco shirt. I am all for that boost in self-confidence. It also means that the marketers are doing their job... and doing it well.

Having said that I no longer go out and spend $70 on a pair of jeans. I now go down to Value Village and see what I can find. Spend a fraction of the price getting it second hand and still feel like I fit in. Someone else's trash is another person's treasure.