Most people I know live in a way that is wasting their entire life. And these people are not just people I know personally, but those I have seen all over this country, via the various media we are submerged in these days. In a way, these people live their whole life as if they were in Disneyland and focused entirely on making materialistic elements deathly oppressive:
“Did I leave the lights on in the car? Where is the car? Did you get the lot number? How much was that? Couldn’t you have gotten that for less at home? Why did you eat that? Look out! Quit walking so fast, slow. Where’s Susie? Man, this line is soooo long. It’s too hot. Where’s the sunscreen? How much money is left? How could you have spent all that already? Can I have some of that? (no). Oh my God, look at the traffic. We’ll never get out of here.”
The people so oriented in their earthly existence see only asphalt everywhere, and it is rough, and potholed, and could skin your knee any second (and get in the cut and cause infection and kill you).
These people have completely missed the transcendent joy that can be expressed as simply as, “It is a grand thing just to be alive.”
The joy killing materialistic philosophy is passed down by generation after generation. Children, who are not born with this philosophy, as evidenced by a million examples such as fascination with as little as an empty box, have their natural joy de vivre taken from them by the drum beat of this materialistic philosophy driven into their heads by adults–beginning virtually at birth.
Certainly many adults passing on this materialistic philosophy think they are being helpful, passing on wisdom. Many believe they are leading the child into adulthood. A sign of adulthood being a person having come to “understand the value of a dollar.” And, “One can never be too careful.”
Much more can be said about this materialistic philosophy and the joy sapping impact of its singular missing of the point. But, for now, suffice it to say that inarguably ”joy” is the ultimate goal. And joy is there in creation itself and the innumerable expressions of beauty of it, truly independent of one’s physical circumstances.
When you have lost joy, one is best served by asking what bad idea of materialistic oppression is one absorbed with now?
Posted by John Christian 
