A Change in Format

I started out with the idea of posting thoughts on this matter on the fly, as I continue to spend more time looking at the way I take in and experience life. However, as I explore this more and more, I'm convinced that is the wrong thing to do. Why should I produce the same half-baked garble that I'm trying to avoid?

So this blog is going to sit dormant for a while, at least until March or April. I'm still writing and exploring the matter of Consumption, but what I hope to do is present my thoughts in a more polished fashioned that is, in the end, a more respectful of your time and energy.

If you'd like to share your case of Consumptionitis, please feel free to comment on the blog, or send me an email at consumptionitis at gmail dot com.

Thanks!

Hi. My name is Mark.

I have become a “consumer” and I don’t like it. Not a consumer in the “Economics. a person or organization that uses a commodity or service” sense of the word. No. I’ve become a consumer as in “a person or thing that consumes” sense of the word. (And consume is not a verb with a very positive connotation.)

I spend hours of my day feeding on mostly useless crap. Internet stories that are irrelevant within 6 hours. TV shows that are poorly written, predictable, and THAT I’VE ALREADY SEEN….twice. I check out reviews on gadgets I really don’t need or really want all that bad. I shove food into my face without even thinking about where it’s from and what it’s actually made of. I keep up with industry “experts”, many of which are just making things up as they go along like the rest of us. I watch every minute of a football playoff blowout just because “it’s the playoffs.”

Even the things that aren’t crap I approach with my consumerist attitude. The books I pick up (and I believe I pick up some good books) are quickly devoured in order to move onto the next. The music I find is quickly listened to until it’s worn out. The music I want to learn is just another checkbox to hammer out. Even church is just a video a stream away for me.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not an everyday, every minute kind of thing. I have moments (even hours) where I am focusing, enjoying, savoring, fully experiencing the things around me. But left to my own devices, I slide into consumption easier than…well just really easily. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to find a full 24 hours where I was fully experiencing each hour.

So…yeah…that sucks. My name is Mark and I’m a consumer. Welcome to Consumers Anonymous.

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(Ok a quick google search shows that there are “real” Consumers Anonymous groups. For clarification, this is not one of those.)