Revelations: Chapter Infinity

The old, familiar groove of
comfortable habit.

It's a seductive black hole 
masquerading as
a kindly, promising
seduction.

A fond recollection,
it whispers; "That thing that's
been missing...that meaning
you wish to secure."

After luring you in with its
distorted offerings,
it/he/she is quick to turn
treacherous.
Only now will it 
reveal that it is only
our own emptiness 
reflected back on us.

Laid bare, that old and
constant companion
is exposed as the 
vile and thoughtless
betrayer
we always
(somewhere inside)
knew it was.

Facades and lies
and broken promises
exposed to reason
and clarity
in the bright light of day.

oh, I recognize you
nowadays, you smirking
tempter.
But I see you
for what you truly are.

***

The Constant 'Want' that Never Fills

There's no escaping the pull of the consumer-based society we
live in, and consumerism is geared towards to things; cultivating
a sense of immediacy, and a sense of need.

In order for us to want things--to feel as if our want is desperate
enough to be need--the marketing campaigns for everything are
geared towards our emotions. Tempting us to 'live for the moment'
(although not in the good or healthy sense of 'grab all that life has to
offer and say what needs to be said, but rather a self-destructive
brand of doing what feels good with no thought towards tomorrow
or repercussions or side-effects.)

Most products being sold are not things we need, and most are not
even things we would want without an artificial desire or demand
being crafted. Certainly, most are unhealthy for our bodies, minds,
and emotions.

"Ooh, shiny! Want!"

These products are concerned with a bottom line, a profit for their
company, not the health or happiness of their purchasing public.

Colas and beer and sugar-laced treats and fat-filled fast food are all
promoted and marketed as a means of living life to the fullest, of being
'truly alive' in the here and now, of finding happiness, of being connected
to the public as a whole and similar friends in particular, and so much more.

The irony, of course, is that these live-fast promotions are sold with a
happy upswing attached, when in fact the ingesting of such products
is likely to lessen life expectancy as well as the quality of life being lived.

All the false promises (implied of otherwise) will not only not bring
about the desired coolness, happiness, sexiness, fitting in, or improved
outings that are associated with the companies' beer, cigarettes, food,
vacation, candidate, etc ad nauseum--but the sense of lacking that comes
from trying and failing to receive that high from consumption can be
devastating.

There is intrinsically a sense of the notion that there must be something
wrong with the buyer (or the subscriber, or the participant) because there
is a definite sense of others having received the promise...of being happier
with their sex life, of being loved harder by people they desire, of
being made content, or having been satisfied by a meal/trip/purchase.

So often, we try again. And again. And always it's the idea...the false
promise of the 'next time' delivering what we thought would be included
this time around, that drives us in our quest.
An end to our disappointment. A sating of our lusts.
A quelling of our desire/needs, first intangible, now embedded.

Songs sell us on sweet and silly codependent love, glamorizing and
schmaltzing up something that is toxic and embarrassing. They also sell
us on the idea of easy sex being appealing, avoiding the emotional mine
field of that endeavor as well as the lifelong traumas of STDs, unwanted
pregnancies, and so on.

We live in a world that has 24 hour a day promotion of Big Portion/ High
Calorie/Greasy Mess/Low Nutrition/Easy Food with no qualms about
the other side of greedy profiteering; the epidemic of obesity, diabetes,
cancers, isolation, sedentary living,

We chase away our fear, our pain, our worry, our past, our selves with
any and every concoction that can alter the way we feel, rather than making
peace with what is. We are a nation of avoiders and runners and addicts
and consumers who are not at ease with our own thoughts and feelings.

And somewhere along the line, there has got to be a conscious decision
to stop joking about 'retail therapy' and 'eating our sorrow' and instead
a movement begin where we can sit and be loving and supportive to the
person we are and the life we live.

And question how long we want to keep engaging in the same actions with
no variation.

But hey...if you get too upset about all this, you can always go 'treat'
yourself to an ice cream; I hear they chase away the blues like nobody's
business.

A false promise of satisfaction that never results in such--the false hopes
we pursue are but momentary distraction, with long term consequences.

The Con of the Art (pt. 1)

12 Step groups are a con job, pure and simple.

Calling it something else and using the good intentions
of some to promote it doesn't change that.

It's a human pyramid scheme; a religious 'only
three more to reach my goal' shell game. Smiles
and careful phrasing don't distract from that.

People come on strong initially, overwhelming
newcomers so as to facilitate a false sense of
belonging; giving cheery and delusional testimonials,
making unrealistic promises, only focusing on upbeat
and Polly-annaish (unrealistic) ideals....
manipulate their emotions, build up
the sense that they are genuinely loved and accepted
and appreciated, and then....

The Whammy!

Make them realize that the continuation of all
these ebullient iterations is contingent upon their
willingness to adopt the mindset of the group.

If you don't get the prescription filled, you can't
have what you've been shown a picture of.
You can't just pull your weight and socialize,
and you can't politely overlook those steps...
you have to commit to the belief system or that
lovey-dovey smiles-a-popping support system
will dry up and blow away.

Of course, it isn't articulated quite so directly,
but the night-and-day switcheroo or emotions
that takes place...the looks of disappointment
and the freeze-outs and the eye rolls and the
condemning glances and the unreturned phone
calls all speak volumes.

Lovingness belongs to those who participate...fully.
If your are unwilling or unresponsive, you don't
get to play with the popular kids. (Who are all
generally actually the un-popular kids, now being
given their first taste of power...did you imagine
it would go well?!?)

Most don't like having it broken down like that, but
there it is.

(continued....)

Attendance Requirements

If you are the right type of person..
(the right race, the right sexual orientation...
the right political affiliation, the right religion, ....)


If you take orders well and acquiesce to mob rule...


If you fit into our clique or are willing to realign yourself
so that you can fit....


If you think shame and authoritarian rule are good lessons
to live by...

If you want to claim responsibility while passing it off
onto fairy tales and invisible friends.....

If you want to ignore your own problems by virtue of
putting your unqualified nose in other people's business...


If you like being dismissed and tolerated instead
of being loved and accepted....


If you want to substitute one addiction for another...


If you enjoy compartmentalizing your life...


If you want to talk endlessly about alcohol and drug
abuse and revel in your glory days...


If you want to pose and posture condescendingly
and exert control over sad, sick, vulnerable folks...


there is a special place for you in the 12 Step Universe!


Come get your brain washed today!
You lucky, lucky, lost soul, you!


***********************************