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Ever find yourself repeating those little slogans you hear on commercials?
“You’ll find it at-Fred Meyer”
“I’m lovin it”
“What’s in your wallet?”
“They’re grrrreat!”
The worst are the jingles that you end up singing, or that get stuck in your head.
“You’re not fully clean unless your Zestfully clean” or “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” Or that fricken Meow mix song. You know the one I’m talking about.
I’ve noticed lately that it really bothers me when someone around me repeats one of those slogans. Usually someone hears something that makes them think of the slogan, or they hear it and repeat it. Especially the jingles. Those are the worst.
Why does it bother me?
I’m realizing that these slogans getting stuck in our heads is exactly what those companies want. And every time we repeat them, we’re giving them free advertising. We’re thinking about their product without even realizing it, and then when we say it out loud we get everyone around us thinking about it. Do you want to do that? I sure don’t.
I’m not saying these companies are evil. But do we really want their little slogans stuck in our heads? And really, even if they aren’t evil, all they really want is our money. That’s enough for me to be wary. When I think about getting new brakes, should I always want to “trust the Midas touch?”
This goes along with something I’ve been thinking more about lately.
I’ve been reading a lot more about financial responsibility, and the more I read and think about it, the more important I think it is. I don’t believe that it’s important to have a lot of money. However, I do think that what we do with our money is important. Are you throwing away our money on things you don’t need? Are you paying bank fees that are unnecessary? Are you paying extreme interest on credit card debt?
As I’ve created a budget and tracked my spending and earning the past month and a half, I’ve found a certain level of freedom. I know exactly where my money is going. I can see things that I’ve bought that were unnecessary. I know exactly how much I’m going to tithe to my church, and I can see how much beyond that I want to donate to charity.
Here are some great articles and sites I’ve found on the topic.
This first one is an article from the Consumerist, which is a website that encourages smart consumerism. Its a funny article, and the comments are great.
http://consumerist.com/consumer/let.s-spend-some-cash/consumerists-10-tips-that-will-make-sure-youll-stay-broke-284375.php
This is the website I use to track my spending and earning.
http://wesabe.com
And one blog I’ve been reading has great tips for saving and managing money.
http://getrichslowly.org/blog
I’m not a huge fan of the title, but it’s still got some good content.
So that’s it. What do you think?
I’m liking the provocative titles.
Well, what do you think? Are you?
What I wrote about last time made me examine myself quite a bit. I actually think my description of how I am was not completely accurate. As I’ve thought about it more, and (over) analyzed myself in other situations, I’m not sure my problem is about race. It may be to some extent, as I think many people have prejudices and biases that are unconscious. I think the bigger problem is my judgment of other people based on what they look like, or even what they are talking about. When I am suspicious of other people, it’s mostly because they look a little sketchy to me. But that is wrong. How can I accurately evaluate someone’s character based on how they look?
I’ve known this guy for a little while, and when I was around him he seemed aloof and reserved. I interpreted this as arrogance. However as I’ve gotten to know him better, I realize that he’s just kind of a quiet and soft spoken, and really not arrogant at all. I feel like I’ve learned this lesson before. How many more times before I actually figure it out?
So I guess my point is that we make judgments about people far too quickly. A groundbreaking assessment I know, but its something I’ve been thinking about.
Ok, a couple more quick things. Funny story- so I gave my mom the website address for this blog (hi mom!). And then I wrote the last post. I’m so stupid sometimes.
Check out this band called Menomena- they’re great. Listen to Muscle N Flow. Its an amazing song. And one more link.
Yep, I figured that out yesterday. I don’t like admitting it, but I know I have to in order to change.
You see, I moved to the Rainier Valley on Thursday. I have been looking forward to living here for a long time, and very seriously considered doing it this past year. Now I’m finally here, and it’s great. The best thing about this part of town is its diversity. I just read that two thirds of the residents here are African American or Asian. For the first time in my life I am a racial minority.
So, as I explored the Valley a little bit yesterday, I realized I was racist. It’s not a very fun thing to realize. It’s not huge, I don’t hate any race more than another. But I found myself more suspicious and cautious around groups of people that weren’t white. I think that’s a problem. I think that’s wrong. So I’m going to work on it.
A couple of interesting things happened as I was out and about. I went to shoot baskets at a nearby park last night. I played for a while, and then walked around the park and sat at a picnic table. Lots of kids were showing up, many different age groups represented. As one kid walked by (he was probably 7 or 8 ) he looked at me and said, “hey nigga, you seen my knife? You seen my knife?” A little at a loss, I mumbled a no and he walked past. As I walked out of the park, he said, “whats up?” I said, “not much, hows it going?” “Good.” Then as I walked away, “bye.” So not much, but who knows, maybe I’ll see this kid again and we can talk some more.
As I walked past a bus stop on the way back to my house a man I had seen earlier asked about the bus. I had no answer for him, as I hadn’t taken that bus before. I told him good luck and was a few steps away when I heard him say, “It was nice to see another white guy around here.” Again at a loss, this time I said nothing and kept walking. Why didn’t I think of something to say? I definitely did not agree with him, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at all regardless of my earlier realizations. Here’s the best answer I can come up with now, “You know, that thought never crossed my mind. You see, I enjoy the fact that everyone looks different, and a world where everyone is the same would be incredibly boring. Think about that and get back to me.” I can always think of the most witty things to say, unfortunately it’s usually about 20 minutes too late. I notice this happens around girls a lot. Alright, sorry I’m rambling.
So those are some of my first adventures in the Rainier Valley. I look forward to many more. Oh, and I heard 4 gunshots last night. Don’t tell my mom.
A wise man told me today that learning how to be in relationship with people teaches you how to be in relationship with God. When you learn how to trust people, or have faith in people, you can better practice those with God.
When I think about relationships I think about interactions. I think conversations, greetings, goodbyes. How do I look at that person? When I speak with them, am I concerned about what is going on in their lives, or do I want to talk about myself?
As I think more about it, this whole “relationship with God” thing is very confusing. How do I ask God how he’s doing? What can I offer God? How can I help God? You see, I show care by being concerned, by offering help. I can worship God, and I am assured that he takes pleasure in it. But, would God be worse off if I hadn’t worshipped him?
I thought about starting off this blog with a controversial rant about something like science and religion, but I started reading Blue Like Jazz and Don Miller inspired me to write down these thoughts. Or questions really.
I’ll end with this. Earlier in the quarter I was in a night class. I was tired and stressed, and the professor sensed that much of the class was in the same state. So she started class with prayer, and she said, “Picture yourself at the feet of Jesus, and take comfort in that.” I imagined myself with Jesus, first at his feet. But then, we were sitting outside chatting over coffee. I smiled to myself. And I felt an incredible amount of peace. I got this overwhelming feeling that chatting with Jesus would be the coolest thing ever, and some day I will have that experience. Can you imagine it? I look forward to sharing a meal with a favorite professor, but Jesus? That’s just amazing, incredible…
And to an extent, I can experience that now. I’m just trying to figure out how.
