How bloody much? 

Have you had enough of the world?  Have you been getting tired of things, people, and places lately?  Me too, and here are just a few of those things 

Now that I have reached an age where simple newness no longer impresses me, I’ve noticed something.  I’ve noticed that there are a great many things in this world of ours that I’m tired of. Oh sure, we all get tired of things from time to time (like noisy neighbors when you’re on the cusp of completing a stunningly good chapter), but there are also those other times when we can get fundamentally, horrendously, excruciatingly tired of things and it’s those I’m talking about at the moment. 

For instance, I’m tired of over-priced clothes.  The other day I saw a jacket that cost $4,000.00.  Excuse me?  Four grand for an off the rack cotton jacket?  I don’t think so – at least not for someone with two kids in school. I’m tired of pompous people.  I don’t care how good you are at what you do – whether it’s medicine, hair styling, writing, selling insurance or anything else, you don’t need to be a pompous ass about it.  It’s great that you’re proud of your accomplishments, but don’t become insufferable.  There are enough insufferable people – don’t add to the cesspool. 

I’m tired of people who simply refuse to smile – you know who you are.  Smiling doesn’t take any time out of the day and it will make you more attractive, easier to be around, and much more likeable.  Besides that, you’re ugly when you frown – so knock it off.  Now please don’t think that I smile all day – believe me I revel in my grouchiness.  But after awhile even I have to break down and grin at something, whether it’s the antics of a stubborn child (someone else’s naturally), a well-crafted sentence, or meeting a newspaper deadline with an hour to spare.  

I’m tired of men (yes, it’s generally men who do this) making things overly complicated.  Have you seen some of the music systems out there?  Particularly in cars?   

I’m tired of calories.  I’m tired of fat.  I’m tired of cholesterol.  But big deal – who isn’t?           

Stay with me here – I’m just getting started 

I’m tired of people who are rude to customers.  If your job is to work around people then be polite when you’re with them. 

I’m tired of coffee that costs more than a meal.  I’m tired of meals that cost more than a hotel room.I’m tired of hotel rooms that cost more than dental surgery.  I’m tired of dental surgery than can cost more than a used car.  I’m tired of used cars that cost more than my parent’s first house.  What utter nonsense; I’m driving around in a car that’s worth more than the first three houses they ever owned. 

I’m tired of television producers buying scripts that are just more of the same old thing.  You watch a show and realize a short way into it that it’s just a remake of a still older show that itself was a take-off on a show that aired two years before that one.  It’s a smorgasbord of scripts – one piece from column A (sexy detective) and one from column B (in trouble) and you’re got another episode. I know too many brilliant screen writers who would love to be turned loose.            

I’m tired of MTV being the arbiter of cool. I’m tired of 14-year-old girls and boys being the arbiter of cool.  I’m tired of cool. 

I’m tired of having too few choices in so many of the important things (breakfast cereal – in which we do have enough choices – is not one of the important things).  We don’t have enough choices in energy, or fuel providers.  We don’t have enough choices in environmentally sound autos.  We don’t even have enough choices in tires. 

I’m tired of icemakers that break down long before they should. 

I’m tired of worrying about health insurance.  I’m really tired of worrying that my children will have health insurance when they’re adults.  I’m tired of worrying about Social Security.  Fix it and quit stealing from it.  Raise taxes or do with less – it’s what we do at home and what we’ll have to do with government programs as well.           

I’m tired of medical expenses that put care beyond the reach of so many citizens.           

I’m tired of utility bills that are so high that the elderly can’t use their air conditioners (those who have them) and risk their health, or dying, every summer.  Speaking of summers, I’m tired of swimming pools used a few months a year that waste water, energy, space and pour chemicals into municipal water systems.            

I’m tired of the artificiality of fashion.  In style – out of style – never in style – will never be in style.  It’s fake fashion hand-in-hand with fake economics to sell clothes or whatever else.  And after a while, of course, ideas run scarce and the old ideas get trotted out again.  Mini’s are in, mini’s are out.  Want to save money on clothes?  Never throw anything away – sooner or later it will come back in style (or you’ll be so “retro” you’ll be beyond cool) and either thing is okay.             

I’m tired of conspicuous consumption.  I’m tired of cancer, heart disease, cardio-vascular disease, of arthritis and Alzheimer’s.  I’m tired of AIDS.  I’m tired of sadness and I’m tired of being tired of so many things.           

And on it goes, all of us trying to do more than exist, trying to stay alive and healthy, trying to prosper, trying to raise our kids to be productive (however they define it), trying to leave the world a bit better place.  And finally there are those of us who have the (at least to me) enviable task of documenting it. At least I hope we are. 

© 2008 MPB