I was reviewing my Environmental Science chapters, we are talking about landfills and came across this article that I found to be very interesting and true and thought I would share it with my fellow bloggers.

“Affluenza, ‘do you have it’”?

(a) I’m willing to pay more for a T-shirt if it has a cool corporate logo on it.
(b) I’m willing to work at a job I hate so I can buy lots of stuff.
(c) I usually make just the minimum payment on my credit cards.
(d) When I’m feeling blue, I like to go shopping and treat myself.
(e) I spend much more time shopping each month than I do being involved in my community.
(f) I’d rather be shopping right now.
(g) I’m running out of room to store my stuff.

Give yourself two points for true and one point for false. If you scored 10 or above, you may have a full-blown case of “affluenza”.

“Just what is affluenza? Jessie H. O’Neill, who coined the term, defines it as a ‘dysfunctional relationship with wealth or money’. Symptoms of affluenza include a love of shopping, a glut of stuff in your home or dorm that you don’t need or use, and a dissatisfaction with you have. It can strike anyone, regardless of their economic status. According to two PBS programs produced about it, ‘Affluenza’ and ‘Escape from Affluenza’, ‘affluenza’ is a plague of materialism and overconsumption that is so pervasive that it actually characterizes our modern society”.
“The United States leads the world in per capita waste generation, a symptom of societywide problem, according to O’Neill. It begins at an early age, as children are bombarded by TV commercials urging them to get the latest toys. Peer pressure makes it worse, with children sometimes ‘forced’ to wear only the approved apparel. Every fad that comes along must be accommodated. Eventually, the conditioned children grow up, carry credit cards, and drive—and then ‘affluenza’ takes on more serious consequences. The toys get more expensive. Adults caught by the disease acquire so much that they have to rent a self-storage bin to hold things they can’t part with. Bankruptcy and credit card overloads are commonplace, a consequence of people’s inability to control their spending”.
How do you get over “affluenza”?
“There are several steps you can take. First, admit that you have a problem. Then, begin to take small withdrawal steps. Before you buy something, ask yourself, do I need it? Could I borrow it from a friend or relative? How many hours do I have to work to pay for it? Another suggested step is to avoid those recreational shopping trips to the mall. Take a walk or play ball with some kids instead. Become an advertising critic. Made a budget. These are a few of the many possible pathways for escape from ‘affluenza’. As you do these things, you may be amazed at how challenging and rewarding it can be to live more simply—and, certainly, more sustainably”.

I went to the hospital on December 2nd with severe pains in my lower abdomen. The doctor insisted I was admitted. I was in there for four days. I have no health insurance, I also missed three days of work. I know this is a bad thing to say but I was just hoping they would give me a lethal injection of pain killer because right now, I'm still in pain and can't afford to go to the doctor. People at work ask me if I got my Christmas shopping done. I just say no but deep inside want to cry. My idea of a good Christmas is having a nice meal with my children. My kids understand about getting no gifts but I can't even afford a nice meal, not enough money to shop for much food. Although I've been taking classes online to further my education and improve my life, right now I feel like giving up. I feel like I'm just sinking deeper and deeper into nowhere.

I cannot wait until Christmas is done and over. All the pretty lights, frosted cakes, and shiny things are just a cover up for the greed, selfish, and shallow minds of the evil that comes out in people during this time. It's "in the name of Jesus", that's a pretty scarey thought that people behave the way they do during this time, "in the name of Jesus". Was Jesus and Satan one in the same?
The hungry and poor will still be the same after Christmas. Does it ease your conscience to feed and house them briefly once a year, and then go back to your pretentious lives as you boast to your colleagues what a great job you've done? Does the garish display of decorations and lights mean "you love Jesus with all your heart". I don't think so. It probably means you want to out do your neighbors display. And the fights in the Malls and parking spots, Jesus must really love you people, knowing that you're fighting for Sales and parking places because you love him so much.