America Anesthetized

We live in a world of familiarity. We are walking around with little fanny packs full of sanitizer and propelling ourselves through life with

each

small

squirt.

Look at the cars we drive... most of the colors are the same. There are about 6 colors of cars on the road these days and when you do run across someone driving a yellow car you think, "I hate yellow" or "they must be compensating for something" or "I have terrible thoughts about other people all the time - forgive me Lord".

Look at the places we eat. When was the last time you didn't eat at a chain? Or the hotels we stay in, "but I like to know what I'm going to get" we say or "I don't like to find roaches in my bed" or something boring like that. How many of you have some neon in your wardrobe? If you don't have a neon halter top that you wear out to parties you have officially surrendered your sense of adventure and passion - and that includes guys too. Furthermore if you haven't been to a party lately it goes without saying that you've been waving the white flag. Or if you have been to a party but no one got into a fight or was stabbed it doesn't count - you are the captain of the SS MISSAdventure and you may as well scuttle the ship.

Listen I'm no different - but I'd like to be. I'd like to walk through the grocery store and take a huge bite of a raw onion and throw it across the isles, I'd like to grab a still smoldering cigarette off the street and take a deep drag because I still subconciously think that it will help me to be more like a cowboy. I'd like to throw an entire bottle of laundry detergent into the pool, I'd like wrestle a badger, I'd like to make cream puffs for breakfast, I'd like to burn my couch in the front yard.

Do something unfamiliar today. Not only should you avoid all chain stores of any kind but you should go to some trendy independent record store/restaurant/massage parlor and when you get there don't sit down or even ask to be seated. Just walk into the kitchen and start singing any Bon Jovi song you want and eat from the line chefs ingredient buckets and make life long friends with the staff and later the police.

Then when you get to make your one phone call - call me - I'll come to pick you up in my day glow halter.