i had a dentist appointment this morning. while the hygenist cleaned my teeth i watched the tv mounted on the wall above me. first i watched canada am then i watched live with kelly. now that i've without tv for a year and a half, what really struck me this morning was that EVERYTHING was an advertisement. on canada am, they were interviewing their weather man who'd recently been a contestant on the price is right. the price is right is a fairly entertaining show, and i find the retro feel pretty cool, but that show was created strictly to showcase new products. it's one big advert disguised as a game! they also had a segment all about 'must have accessories for spring', which involved bringing in a fashion consultant to go over all the things people need to buy to stay trendy this spring. this sort of thing used to be interesting to me, i always found it neat to see the latest gadgets and so on. but all it is, is marketing. i know that not all shows are built around buying stuff, but it really bugged me and i'm really glad that we don't have television anymore. this is saying a lot since i really resisted it when brendan didn't want tv.
i think i'm starting to see advertising everywhere since this whole shaved legs thing. why should some companies, some people i don't know, influence my choices and tell me what i need or like?!?!
trips to the dentist are uncomfortable and my mouth remains sore afterwards. however, i usually enjoy all the other aspects, such as sleeping in a little bit later, not being rushed, going into work late, having a shorter work day. since we moved i've COMPLETELY forgotten to floss my teeth. out of sight, out of mind. i'd really like to floss more often. it seems simple enough, but piling a bunch of small tasks on top of one another ends up taking a long time. b is ALWAYS in bed way faster than me and i'm crazy jealous.
last night i attended an NA meeting in support of a friend reaching a significant milestone of sobriety. it was a pretty amazing experience. that kind of environment appeals to me in several different ways. it's an incredibly affirming atmosphere. people clap and encourage someone with 60 days clean just as much as someone with 13 years. i think it's because they recognize the value and effort at every stage of recovery. most people are also very frank about their lives and struggles. it's refreshing. i think the world would be a better place if we were more transparent about our vices and hurts. i know that NA and AA groups don't work for everyone, but i think there's a lot that can be taken from their approach even if people resist certain elements. even i feel better having gone last night, it was positive and supportive. they do a lot of reading and the one slogan that really made an impression on me was 'one time is too many, and a thousand is never enough - ever'. to me that speaks volumes of self-awareness. plus people hug a lot, and men cry freely. there's a lot we could learn from such groups.
i think i'm starting to see advertising everywhere since this whole shaved legs thing. why should some companies, some people i don't know, influence my choices and tell me what i need or like?!?!
trips to the dentist are uncomfortable and my mouth remains sore afterwards. however, i usually enjoy all the other aspects, such as sleeping in a little bit later, not being rushed, going into work late, having a shorter work day. since we moved i've COMPLETELY forgotten to floss my teeth. out of sight, out of mind. i'd really like to floss more often. it seems simple enough, but piling a bunch of small tasks on top of one another ends up taking a long time. b is ALWAYS in bed way faster than me and i'm crazy jealous.
last night i attended an NA meeting in support of a friend reaching a significant milestone of sobriety. it was a pretty amazing experience. that kind of environment appeals to me in several different ways. it's an incredibly affirming atmosphere. people clap and encourage someone with 60 days clean just as much as someone with 13 years. i think it's because they recognize the value and effort at every stage of recovery. most people are also very frank about their lives and struggles. it's refreshing. i think the world would be a better place if we were more transparent about our vices and hurts. i know that NA and AA groups don't work for everyone, but i think there's a lot that can be taken from their approach even if people resist certain elements. even i feel better having gone last night, it was positive and supportive. they do a lot of reading and the one slogan that really made an impression on me was 'one time is too many, and a thousand is never enough - ever'. to me that speaks volumes of self-awareness. plus people hug a lot, and men cry freely. there's a lot we could learn from such groups.
but just don't try to disengage me.
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