everything is relative

The law of relativity... how sucky my life is, compared to Bill Gates's. Or how lucky I am, having a roof over my head. It's all BS.
We are comparing apples and oranges. Instead, should look in our immediate environment and see what we can improve. Not compare, demand, expect, IMPROVE. If each of us tried to do something nice for another person, animal, plant, or oneself, and enjoy everything that is already present in one's life, than there would be a lot more happy people.

My sister in law talks to me on Skype from Hungary, while my brother is overseas, trying to make a buck to support his family. Silvia is home with two little boys, ages two and a half and one, in a one bedroom apartment. She calls her rooms, "little room" and "big room". The big room is the family/living room, also serving as the parents' bedroom. It is so, to combine usage of one area without sacrificing privacy, and due to the lack of "extra space" (I live in a "3 room" apartment) that we are so accustomed to elsewhere. The family/master bedroom is quite doable, because the parents normally are the ones to rise first and sleep last. We also have beds that have a hollow compartment underneath, so to strip and store the linens every morning and use the bed as a great big "couch" during the day, where the whole family fits and plays. I never thought much of this till I realized, sitting across from her on the video camera, how spoiled I have become. On the other hand, they are a happy, wholesome family with bright kids and a satisfied mother who is able to spend her days with her most precious possessions, and make those days into anything they want to, each time around. She also takes them to the park for 3-4 hours every day. To her, it's not work, it's not hardship, it's the best life has to offer. Did I mention that she is really really happy?

I have a huge living room, a huge bedroom and a huge "office" room, with two full baths. Why? Because I can...So it's all relative, you see.

We eat because we can, it's all around us. If we see someone walking (away from the downtown area) we assume they are "lowlife" or poor people, or drunk, or homeless, or some other person of misfortune who CANNOT drive. Because we can all drive everywhere and eat till the plate is clean. Then flip to the other side, become holistic about green living and veganism, while sporting over sized breasts of the not so holistic kind... whatsup? Go to yoga and church and pull out of the parking lot, ignoring everyone else on the road. We burn up energy to condition the air in our living and working spaces, but we do not use the sun to dry our hair and clothes. Instead, we use more energy for dryers, that heat up our living area that has to be conditioned with more energy to make it cool again. Is this not a bit wasteful???

I am no angel, I admit, I could scale down on some of my indulgent habits, like having 17 pairs of running shoes and more than 8 beds for my dog around the house.

I wonder why we are so wasteful and superficial still, knowing that others are literally starving to death, and knowing that this planet will not sustain our indulgent asses (regardless, it will cycle into its deadly changes). I wonder why (and here I will step on some toes, and get "witchy"), still we have to fear and beg a nonexistent human form, in the name of god, and go to wars, in the name of god, and believe in contra-scientific FACTS, in the name of god, who was created long long ago, BECAUSE we couldn't deal with life and explain the unexplained, and get comforted and reassured, and regard our passing life as passing, and reach for solutions that were beyond our realm of knowledge and understanding. Oh... I forgot to mention, it is also the greatest, most profitable and longest standing BUSINESS ran by the biggest hypocrats in the world (who have your little boys and girls in their laps).

And the answer to all is that we are still crawling. As a species and a life form, we are, at best, toddlers. Some of us can speak already, some are just drooling and screaming for instant gratification... sounds familiar?? Yeah... little kids, who cannot conceptualize every aspect of life, time, and the "whys". This is what I think.

So this post is merely a think-out-loud for me, not a rant, not a scolding, more of my own reasoning to explain our, my shortcomings. This way, and not because some god figure tells me, it is fathomable that we just don't know how to be better. Yet.

The comforting part is, that against the best efforts of religion to keep progress from happening, there are, have been, and always will be inquisitive minds, pioneer minds, and brave, independent thinkers, scientists and motivators who carry the spark of humanity forward (not in the form of burning women on stakes, or feeding babies to a fire pile, or blowing themselves up). So cheer to humanity, and if you are inquisitive, seek out the knowledge and keep walking... the tunnel has another end. I am sure!

In the meantime, I am trying to identify and cease my selfish habits that are programmed through society and are so meaningless, in the long run. They really are...

Does anyone know the ownership-line of ancient art, does anyone know the shoemaker of Luis the XVI? Does anyone know what brand of writing instruments Newton used? No... and who cares. It is all relative. We care about what Paris Hilton wears...but the future generations will only look to accomplishments, discoveries, reforms and improvements and other, beautiful creations. THAT is what's relative on the big scale. What we do and how we think... not the credit score and brand of clothing and cars...do you see?

My newest interest is the slowfood movement that started in Italy... check it out.

Also a last note about religion: I do not need to be "scared" into being a decent human being, nore do I need to pay my way into heaven. Or wherever. I regard my NOW life with care and concern and not wait to chill lazily on top of clouds (probably getting skinnier as I eat more and more), laughing at others, who are burning in hell (must have missed a payment, or got bad credit rating). I do not judge anyone's belief, only if it's an extremest kind (an extremist of any kind is unhealthy, even a workout freak). I do not argue sicentific proof. Seriously...
I do what I can NOW to improve something. And it doesn't always take money.