Comments on: Are We Ready to Hear it?

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:05:24 +0000

Totally agree. After living in Europe and paying hand over fist for their gas prices, it’s about time the US realized we were not paying enough to begin with. And although this is a little cold-hearted, I think it’s a good thing when the prices increase. It’s time we fix our mistakes with building these sprawling suburbs and investing in these huge gas-guzzling SUVs. At some point it has to force us to get back to biking/walking for a change, gardening our own food, and talking to our neighbors again.

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:18:02 +0000

I read that article yesterday and have tald several people about it, just haven’t had time to blog about it yet, and am catching up with my blog reading over lunch and had to chime in. I agree with Friedman and you all, we as a nation have become too focused on having and not enough on giving — of our energy and commitment, our dollars, our selves. We need to change and change starts with me — I am committing to making a change happen, and to living my values. We can do it.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:06:04 +0000

Thanks Denise and P~
I do actually agree with 90% of what he said in the editorial, sorry if it came off like I didn’t. It just seems to me that we used to be so focused on creating and innovating and finding new ways to do things better, and now we’re too focused on having things and making money. We want things, but we don’t want to work for them. Instead we expect someone else to do that work.

By: P~

P~ — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:52:39 +0000

Laura,
I don’t comment here as often as I should, but I read you every day! Today I just have to chime in.
I am sorry to say that I agree with this article in so many ways. These have been lessons that were very hard for me to learn. My parents on both sides grew up with very little, and achieved very much. I was a product of this, and grew up with a bad case of “entitlement syndrome”. I’m so very saddened to see so many in our culture with the attitude that what they want is all that matters. We’ve driven ourselves to a point where we’re accepting of shoddy goods and lousy service as long as it’s cheap and we can have it when we want it. We don’t innovate like we used to because we can afford to buy it from somewhere else and we don’t make for ourselves because generations of consumerism have selectively bred it out of us. I thank the Lord everyday for people like you and all the others that I am able to netwok with that set a different example and that I can commune with to not feel like such an outsider. I think we can make the shift in America, but as was correctly stated, we need someone to put it to us straight.
Very good post Laura, thanks.
P~

By: Denise

Denise — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:29:15 +0000

I’ve been discussing this same issue with friends lately. In particular, I was recently reading something about Victory Gardens and was amazed at how many people responded. It seemed like people were proud and willing to work and when they pulled together things happened. It seems like that kind of person is rare in my everyday life, and I wonder how it changed so much in such a short time.