It has been already a month since I received this forwarded message from George Carlin. I have been going through its content, once and once again, and every time its concepts sink deeper in my mind.
I have chatted with some retired friends, cozily sitting by the fountain in our residential compound´s little park, and we have all agreed that times have changed, faster and vastly more complicated, but in no way better than the ones we have enjoyed so far.
Even in here we see the sad consequences of the hurried way of living of the newer generations. Just the other day, while chatting, some children, not older than eight years old, were playing around the next to us bench in our park.
They were wearing brand name tennis shoes, baggy short pants, sport teams T-shirts, and earrings in their ear lobules, thanks God, not in their noses. And their parents, as usual were absent. Working hard but leaving alone their children at home. No surprise that we also have become used to see nice looking young girls, parading around with young boys, similarly sloppily dressed, and even some already carrying little babies in their arms.
Supposedly this is a middle class neighborhood. Abundant cars noisily cruising along our main street, driven by the older boys and girls. If this is what happens here, you can easily guess what is going on in the crowder and more dilapidated living areas where younger people have adopted the gang style way of living so popular nowadays in the more advance countries, mesmerized by the expelled ones who have been forced to return.
Add to this the broken moral ways of the older, who, justified, they say, by the rampant social injustices of today, dedicate themselves only to shout and claim their right to be subsidized by the government in turn, while they, busily and irresponsibly, contribute to the growing population explosions, bringing more babies to this more than sagging and hurting world.
It is not my purpose to keep on painting so bleak images of the social maladies that are affecting our countries. Similar images are found everywhere, over here as well as in the slums of the more advanced and so called first world cities of this world.
It is for this reasons that the message of doom and despair joins the choiring circus of the media but get lost in the noise and the flashing and the repetitive clowning of the masters, for their financial gain, of such a kaleidoscopic shows that inundate us, every time we turn on the radios or television sets that have taken such a grasp of our homes.
Let´s hope that sanity and change for the better soon arrives. The time is coming on! We are almost reaching the bottommost level of the social moral decay.
There will be no other way but to reach up again, if we do not want to stay crushed to death upon the filthy floors of what I have already defined as the bleakest moral decay of this century that has just begun.
I have chatted with some retired friends, cozily sitting by the fountain in our residential compound´s little park, and we have all agreed that times have changed, faster and vastly more complicated, but in no way better than the ones we have enjoyed so far.
Even in here we see the sad consequences of the hurried way of living of the newer generations. Just the other day, while chatting, some children, not older than eight years old, were playing around the next to us bench in our park.
They were wearing brand name tennis shoes, baggy short pants, sport teams T-shirts, and earrings in their ear lobules, thanks God, not in their noses. And their parents, as usual were absent. Working hard but leaving alone their children at home. No surprise that we also have become used to see nice looking young girls, parading around with young boys, similarly sloppily dressed, and even some already carrying little babies in their arms.
Supposedly this is a middle class neighborhood. Abundant cars noisily cruising along our main street, driven by the older boys and girls. If this is what happens here, you can easily guess what is going on in the crowder and more dilapidated living areas where younger people have adopted the gang style way of living so popular nowadays in the more advance countries, mesmerized by the expelled ones who have been forced to return.
Add to this the broken moral ways of the older, who, justified, they say, by the rampant social injustices of today, dedicate themselves only to shout and claim their right to be subsidized by the government in turn, while they, busily and irresponsibly, contribute to the growing population explosions, bringing more babies to this more than sagging and hurting world.
It is not my purpose to keep on painting so bleak images of the social maladies that are affecting our countries. Similar images are found everywhere, over here as well as in the slums of the more advanced and so called first world cities of this world.
It is for this reasons that the message of doom and despair joins the choiring circus of the media but get lost in the noise and the flashing and the repetitive clowning of the masters, for their financial gain, of such a kaleidoscopic shows that inundate us, every time we turn on the radios or television sets that have taken such a grasp of our homes.
Let´s hope that sanity and change for the better soon arrives. The time is coming on! We are almost reaching the bottommost level of the social moral decay.
There will be no other way but to reach up again, if we do not want to stay crushed to death upon the filthy floors of what I have already defined as the bleakest moral decay of this century that has just begun.
A MESSAGE FROM GEORGE CARLIN:
His wife died, recently. It is not surprising that George Carlin, a comedian from the 70s and 80s, could write so eloquently.
Our time´s paradox is that we have taller buildings but much reduced temperaments. Wider roads but narrower points of views! We spend more but we have less!.
We buy more but we enjoy less!. We have bigger houses but smaller families! More comfort but less time in our hands!.
More academic titles but less Common Sense!. Greater knowledge but less judging capacities! More experts but more problems!.
Better medical care but less well being!. We drink too much!. We smoke excessively!. We waste too much!. We laugh too little!. We drive too fast!. We get mad too easily!.
We do not sleep enough, and we wake up tired!. We scarcely read, we watch TV too long!. And we rarely pray!.
We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values!. We talk too much!. We love too little!. And hate too frequently!.
We have learnt to earn our living, but not to live!. We add years to our lives, not life to our years!.
We have achieved going “to and back” to the moon, but find so difficult to cross the street to meet a new neighbor!. We conquered the outer space, but not our inner one!
We have achieved great things, but not better ones!. We have cleaned the air but polluted our soul!. We conquered the atom but no tour prejudices!. We write more but learn less!.
We plan more but achieve less!. We have learnt to hurry up, but not to wait!.
We have produced computers capable of more Information processing and distribution, but we communicate, every time, less and less!.
These are the fast food times and the slower digestion ones!. The times of taller sizes and shorter characters!.
The times of unbelievable financial profits and shallower human interrelationships!.
Two home incomes are usual today, but more divorces!.
Luxury houses, but broken homes!. Times of faster trips!. Throw away diapers!. Discarding Morals!. One night sexual shacking ups!. Obese bodies!. And pills for everything! From getting high and calming down, even to kill!.
His wife died, recently. It is not surprising that George Carlin, a comedian from the 70s and 80s, could write so eloquently.
Our time´s paradox is that we have taller buildings but much reduced temperaments. Wider roads but narrower points of views! We spend more but we have less!.
We buy more but we enjoy less!. We have bigger houses but smaller families! More comfort but less time in our hands!.
More academic titles but less Common Sense!. Greater knowledge but less judging capacities! More experts but more problems!.
Better medical care but less well being!. We drink too much!. We smoke excessively!. We waste too much!. We laugh too little!. We drive too fast!. We get mad too easily!.
We do not sleep enough, and we wake up tired!. We scarcely read, we watch TV too long!. And we rarely pray!.
We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values!. We talk too much!. We love too little!. And hate too frequently!.
We have learnt to earn our living, but not to live!. We add years to our lives, not life to our years!.
We have achieved going “to and back” to the moon, but find so difficult to cross the street to meet a new neighbor!. We conquered the outer space, but not our inner one!
We have achieved great things, but not better ones!. We have cleaned the air but polluted our soul!. We conquered the atom but no tour prejudices!. We write more but learn less!.
We plan more but achieve less!. We have learnt to hurry up, but not to wait!.
We have produced computers capable of more Information processing and distribution, but we communicate, every time, less and less!.
These are the fast food times and the slower digestion ones!. The times of taller sizes and shorter characters!.
The times of unbelievable financial profits and shallower human interrelationships!.
Two home incomes are usual today, but more divorces!.
Luxury houses, but broken homes!. Times of faster trips!. Throw away diapers!. Discarding Morals!. One night sexual shacking ups!. Obese bodies!. And pills for everything! From getting high and calming down, even to kill!.
These are times where there is so much in the stores windows, and so little in our hands!.
Times when technology makes possible for this letter to reach you, so you can choose to share these reflections! Or simply decide to erase them!.
At this point in time, let´s stop and meditate on the words of wisdom, by a remarkable woman.
“If we assume a catastrophic vision of the human being, we are done, life becomes a useless endeavor. I do also feel, internally, incapable of being optimistic… but we have to be, whatever the costs!.
We must keep alive our trust in the future!. These are the timely words of Rita Levi –Montalcini, Italian neurologist, 22/04/1909. Medicine Nobel Prize in 1986.
Once agreed upon on this, let´s go back to Carlin message!.
Remember to spend some time with your dearest ones, because they will not be here, forever!. Remember to be kind with the child who admires you, because that little one will grow up and leave you behind!.
Remember to hug those who are near, because this is the only treasure you can give with your heart, without costing you a penny!.
Remember to say “I love you” to your spouse and your dear ones, but, above all, say it with all your soul!. A kiss and a hug can heal a wound when are given with all you have in you!.
Remember to hold hands with your dearest one, and to treasure this moment, because someday that person will not be with you anymore!.
Give yourself time to love and talk to people, and this way to share your most precious ideas!. And remember always!.
Life is not measured by the number of times we take a breath, but by the extraordinary moments that take our breath away!.
George Carlin
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