Our desire for big yards, big homes (based on world averages, 1000 square feet is huge), cute little communities has led to the growth of suburbs. Cheap gas has enabled it. That may be coming to an end.
This movie looks as though it may be enlightening. I'm actually quite interested to see what will happen to our far-flung suburbs as gas prices either maintain their current levels or rise. Our suburbs currently are places where people sleep and spend money. All you see there are homes, Targets, Home Depots, and such. Very few people earn their living working in the suburbs. They commute. And even when they get basic things within the suburb, such as groceries, they must drive a few miles to get to that place, too. Almost no one walks to the corner store for groceries, or to meet friends.
Psychologically and sociologically, our suburban lives are very isolating. We're isolated from how our food is made, from the people we love, from the people who run our government, and in many other ways. The debate about the pros and cons of surburban life could last interminably. I'm sure I'll post on it in the future.
This all hits home since I will likely be moving to a more distant suburb in the near future - it's all I can afford and still have a safe living environment for my family.
Some thought provoking questions about isolation on which you can feel free to comment (and about which I will likely post on in the future):
- How is your food made?
- What did he/she really think when you sent them that e-mail? (could you see their reaction, or just their terse response?)
- Would Mr./Mrs. politician be acting this way if you were looking them in the eye?
- Would you eat meat if you had to kill it with your own hands?
- How would your social life change if you didn't have to drive at least 15 minutes to see most of your friends?
- If suburbs are safe to live in, what places are not? What could be root causes of that be?
Final note:
Terrific article from NPR on home sizes: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5525283
Quote from the article:
"I always wanted a house big enough that my kids could be in their room screaming, and my wife could be in a room screaming, and I could be somewhere else and not hear any of them," he says. "And I think I have accomplished this with this house, because this house is so big that everyone has their own space."
Draw your own conclusion.
1 comment:
"I think everybody has their individual wants," Frisby says. "This is my dream. And let's face it: In America, in this day and age, many of us have gotten to the point where we can do this."
Well, money doesn't grow on trees and wealth doesn't either. So just where does all this individual wealth come from...that is the question?
Wealth comes from the working hand. The trick to having lots of wealth i.e. BIG FAT SHIT BOXES, is taking it from others. Legally or illegally, it's pretty much the same. We live in a world of fear and greed. People act on this fear and greed all the time, and objectify their brothers and sisters. War and poverty are a direct result of fear and greed. A reality of life is we can't build a BIG FAT SHIT BOX big enough to protect us from our own damnation. Welcome to hell, BIG GUY.
Cynical, perhaps, but not stupid.
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