Mediocrity Be Thy Name...
My reasoning

Somewhere along the line I've mentioned that we've taken ourselves too far out of the evolutionary process, at least in a common modern day nature version. Certainly with all the crap we're putting in our food, polluting the water and earth with, and just general propagation of stupidity, we're definitely living in some kind of survival of the fittest chain but only to see if we can survive ourselves. Take a few minutes to think about that, and it's pretty sad.

Can you imagine going back, taking primitive man aside, and saying something like: "Pal, lemme break it to you. All this struggle you're going through: the cave, the weather, the disease, the killer animals, and whatnot. You're doing it all so that one day people can overeat themselves to death. So that entertainment will be found in shows about 'Uncles who pimp their neices.' So that we can dump our trash and toxic waste in that river over there that kept you alive all these years. We hope you're proud of us great-to-the-whatever-power grandfather."

That would have to be a fantastic sensation.

I understand why some of the older generation amongst minority civil rights groups think that the youth of today are spitting in the faces of those who came before them. I just take it one step further and say that we're all doing it collectively on all our forebearers. I'm not one of those nuts who think we should return to these old values or those old customs or that traditional lifestyle. Hell, we'd have to go prehistoric, and I don't think anyone's willing to go there. So instead, I think it's a matter of growing up and evolutionizing ideas. We're already here so how do we move on to a better place?

Like I said though, evolution. That's what a lot of it comes down to. I've already discussed our collective fear of death and aging, our lack of spirituality, and our efforts to screen out anything from nature except for organic food. Part of what got me thinking about this again was seeing some show on Discovery Health about difficult pregnancies and their deliveries. In nearly every one of these cases the woman knew she had a pre-existing condition that would either bar her or make life-threateningly difficult her effort to have children. Of course, they had all gone ahead and done it anyway, hence why we have the show.

To me, it's not a miracle of medicine that these babies were saved. To me, it says that this person wasn't meant to have kids for whatever reason. To me, you figure out where to cut your losses. Two hundred year ago let's say, the mother wouldn't have known and both mother and child would die. Today, if you know, you keep your life, you forego having children, and if you really want a baby, you adopt him or her. To me, that's a win-win situation: you keep your life, and an already existing child get the parents he or she doesn't have. I've heard other people say stuff like this, why doesn't anyone ever listen and learn?

Now that leads me into my title for today: mediocrity.

I still don't understand other than changing ticket prices, inflation, and the expansion of releases to explain how all these new movies keep making it into the top box office of all time. Come to think of it, I don't understand how a lot of this stuff makes dollar one. I get indignant any time anyone tells me how they're mad that they spent money on some terrible movie when I could tell from the start it was going to be stupid.

And no, not in that so bad it's good way either.

The same goes for books. I used to be able to pick up a best seller every now and again, and often they were at least decent stories. Sadly, that's not the case anymore. It's as though they cloned Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Danielle Steele, and Thomas Harris. The bestseller list looks like television shows. Instead of sitcoms you get blocks of serial killer books. Instead of Buffy and X-Files clones, you get all the crap cookie cutter horror novels. But you do still get plenty of lawyer and cop books. Come to think of it, I don't need to say anymore about TV than that either. It's all the same garbage too. I'm not saying it has zero entertainment value, but what little it has doesn't stretch very far over the hundreds and hundreds of clones. Why do you think those DVD box sets of old shows are doing so well.

Hell even comics suck in the same way today.

Of course a lot of people claim that it's all because when they get home from work, they don't want to think.
Hmmmm......Doesn't that tell you something? Has the pursuit of money and material wealth which is the ultimate goal of nearly everything today made you any better? It brings to mind two things.

For one, how is that joe average a hundred years ago or more did some really back-breaking work with none of our conveniences, and yet still found time for reading, resting, hunting, fishing, church, or whatever. They got up at the crack of dawn, worked all day, and still found time to relax while spending time with friends and relatives. We don't have half the toil and we always feel like we barely have time to ourselves. Hell, in my lifetime, I remember when nothing was open on Sundays. Even if you weren't Christian, I'm willing to bet you enjoyed that day of rest. Where did that go?

The other thing is that once upon a time you were supposed to find a profession that you enjoyed. My grandfather couldn't stress it enough. Of course, let's be realistic before I go any farther, that doesn't mean you get to be a rock star or movie star because that's what you think would make you happy. I chalk that up on the pursuit of wealth, fame, and power thing that I mentioned before. What I mean here is something that really plays to your talents and your interests, not just a dream job. I don't know if you know this, but it used to be expected that folks take some kind of pride in the work they did. Again, it might not have been their dream, but they put their best into it. Now all I hear is: "I'll do this sh!tty job for a few years and make a boatload of cash, then I'll quit and find something I like." Problem is, they never quit, and many times their too burnt or far along or addicted to it to cut themselves loose. Sounds great. Now you can afford everything you want, but you don't have the energy or the time to enjoy any of it.

I'd think you'd want to pace yourself a little better.

I've met a few folks who did the 'early retirement', I mean real early for retirement, and now they claim that they're bored. Usually, it's because they don't feel like they have a purpose.

What does all of this lead to: you put up with mediocrity with everything in your life.

You'll settle. Whatever is easiest wins. You don't demand quality. If it doesn't work out, you just buy another one. You don't have time to study it, so you don't judge things on craftsmanship. You're nearly bored with everything, and almost never excited by anything. The best part about this to me is when folks start really talking up their sh!t jobs, or sh!t cars, or sh!t movies they went to see, or sh!t music they listen to. When they're really pressed about the quality, they usually shrug and say, "Aw, well, it's not that bad."

All because you're too tired to think. Too tired to challenge yourself. Too tired to demand something better out of your entertainment, your food, your job, your fellow man, and yourself. Just too tired.

Awwww, well, that's too bad.

I'm just wondering why I lucked out and now have to live amongst you bored boring b@st@rds in dudsville here.

No, being Goth doesn't count either. You're just glorifying being dead, dark, and dull...and still ripping off all kinds of old stuff. Crushed velvet has still yet to make anything truly cool.