Street talk

Have you ever been sitting in a public place and watch people walk by? Checking out their clothes, their mannerisms, hear their conversations, how they talk to each other? I was waiting on my wife and daughter in the mall yesterday, outside of a clothes store. If any man has ever been in this situation, you know I was there a while. So as I sat without a book or anything else to entertain myself, except my Orange Julius that cost me $4.30, so I was watching the people walk by.

Now before I tell you about the people I noticed, let’s discuss a couple of issues: I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking on this subject so if you’ve never heard this point of view don’t close me off till you hear me out.

The American Dream: From the beginning of our country, the Pilgrims came to this new land for a fresh start from England (and the Church of England). They were seeking the opportunity to practice free religion and the rights to decide for themselves how best to live their lives. Then later the Fore Fathers were tired of excessive taxation with out any representation in England’s government, so they declared their independence from their former government. This was finally obtained through the revolutionary war. Since then immigrants from around the world have moved to our country to embrace the freedoms we have here.

Bring this more up to date. As we travelled through the last century and industrialization came to the forefront, manufacturing and assembly lines with mass production made it possible for people to own more things. Then the marketing staffs came up with the idea of financing our purchases and making payments over time. Now this idea is as normal as bottled water today, but at one time being in debt was a shame because it meant you couldn’t afford to pay for the things you needed to buy. A good example of this was Lee Iacocca’s marketing scheme “56 in 56.” Buy a new ’56 Ford and make $56 payment for 36 months. Vehicles had only been financed for 12 months up to that point. Today 72 months and 84 month financing and leasing is a usual practice. Which makes the vehicle at normal driving of 15k miles a year wore out before the financing is over. This keeps the consumer in a negative equity trading pattern, which perpetuates longer financing. Plus the American entitlement mentality of always wanting bigger, better, badder, causes people to trade vehicles earlier continuing the problem. Ever wonder why the auto industry keeps coming out with newer body styles, and more choices each year? To keep you in the trade cycle. To keep the Retail Machine humming.

Now a days it’s not about being in or out of debt it’s more about what you have regardless if it has a payment booklet with it or not. I can say this because I spent over five years in direct sales, both inside and outside sales. During this time I sold well over a millions dollars of product, a majority of it was financed.

The commercialization of our nation has been more like indoctrination to the American Retail Machine that is driving our nation’s economy today. I prove this by saying; listening to any news cast this week and you will hear them talking about the housing market, foreclosures, the economy, and retail sales are down. The big three automakers GM, Ford, and Chrysler (actually this would be the old big three since Toyota is now in 2nd and are poised to take 1st from GM) are at record lows. They have increased sales with traditional gimmicks such as 0% financing, longer warranties, gas cards, huge sales, and such. Don’t miss understand me, I’m not against the auto industry. Everyone deserves to own a vehicle, but buy one that not only suits your needs, but also suites your budget. Do some research and buy the right vehicle at the right time. Cars are a usable commodity. They are not an investment (speaking about normal cars). Cars were never intended as a place to store money. Most vehicles loose a tremendous amount of value in a short period of time. Be careful, where you park your money.

The retail machine is like a thriving animal that has a constant appetite. It’s not important so much as what you buy as long as it’s something that is for sale in the retail market. The Old American Dream of owning a piece of land and having a house, with a family has been replaced with grand suburban homes, IPods, eating out, and American Eagle clothing. When & Why did our social status become linked to our ‘stuff’? Why has stuff taken precedence over character? Why when two men meet in the first few minutes they will find out how each of them make a living? The ruler in which we place social status is measuring the wrong things. Why is a doctor higher than a teacher, and a teacher higher than a janitor? A janitor higher than a garbage man, and so on, when in actuality they could all belong to the same moose lodge? This doesn’t make sense to me. Abraham Lincoln said in a speech “if you are a janitor, be the best janitor you can be.” Everybody is blessed with unique circumstances and opportunities. It’s like poker, you can’t help what you are dealt, but you make the best hand you can with what you get. The only difference is every hand is a winner, if you don’t measure with money.

The earth and everything here was created for the people on it. In other words, people are the most important ‘commodity’. Invest in people.

Let’s venture back to the mall, here’s the picture: I’m standing my post on a bench outside of a national clothing store (no names, copyright infringements, etc.) but let’s just say it’s a popular one with the ‘y’ generation of the teenager age. My daughter had some money given to her by a good friend of mine, and she wanted to buy some clothes (my wife was supervising this because obviously as a father and in my daughter’s opinion, I know zip about clothes, and my wife is making sure she’s being a good steward over her money). So I’m enjoying my over priced Orange Julius (in case you’ve never had one, it’s a mixture of various fruit juices over crushed ice, that taste like it was meant to have a shot of rum in it, although it’s a non alcoholic beverage) just watching America walk by. I saw some of the most interesting people. Now understand I make none of the following statements as derogatory to any particular group or ethnicity. One particular guy walked past me, he was rather large but probably 25ish if I was to guess. He was wearing the long baggy jean that looked like they were dirt faded, red shirt with some tribal logo from a local chopper shop, red hat backwards (of course) and earrings that could double as chain links. Now I mean no disrespect (all though I’m sure it sounds that way) I understand this is a style, I’m not that old. But however his appearance was the grungy slob. I wondered what he was trying to express with those earrings.

Ok, before we drop into a tangent, today I went to church this morning with my family, I wore a baggy pair of jean cargo shorts, a silk shirt, beige with the aloha style print, and a pair of sandals. I’m now wearing a pair of cargo shorts, gray t shirt with a chopper logo, and sandals till I took them off a few minutes ago. No ear rings, although there was a time when a single gold hoop or diamond stud was part of my normal wear. So don’t think I’m just another stuffed shirt. What intrigued me was I want to understand this new ‘style’. What’s on the minds of the ‘y’ generation?

My next recipient of my amazement was an awesome sight. A young girl probably 4 and her mother walked past a gum machine. The little girl dropped in a quarter and gave it a twist. When she opened the cover to retrieve her gum a few pieces fell out onto the floor. She carefully, under mom’s gaze, grabbed the rest of the pieces and as mom walked off, picked up the other three with the precision of a hawk. She gentle gave them a blow as to say ‘5 second rule’ as our eyes met. I couldn’t have helped myself even if I wanted, I gave a hearty laugh as thought to myself I probably wouldn’t have even blew them off. Having girls myself, that’s one of the things you can do, as long as mom doesn’t find out. It’s ok to eat off the floor with Dad.

I watched several people walk past with boxers hanging out the back and still wondered even with the belt how they seem to defy gravity. Numerous teenagers with ear phones hanging out of one ear, walking, and talking to friends, and wondered “Is it cool now? Or is it cool to sport your Ipod as a symbol or status? A group of four girls walked past all engaged to cellys stuck to their ears. A group of young people sitting around a table sending text to others in never ever land. If I had one of their numbers I would have sent a text saying ‘doesn’t anyone ever talk face to face anymore?

As time went by and my social security check gets closer waiting on my girls to finish shopping, I saw butt checks hanging from under shorts that were barely visible, tops that were both too low and to high for my taste. A variety of hair styles and color, numerous tattoos and piercings, and I came to this question; what are we teaching the next generation of this countries leadership. Somewhere here in this great nation the next president is walking in a mall with one ear phone in one ear and texting the first lady. I don’t think this is what our Forefathers had in mind when they wrote in ‘Separation of Church and State’. I pray for the teachers and administrators charged with the education of today’s youth, they need all the help they can get.

Parents, I speak from my own experience, take an inventory of our children. Monitor what they read, what they watch, and what they listen too. If it matches what you believe, great, but if it doesn’t do something about it now. As my daughter came out as proud as a princess could be she informed me she only spent $9.

Don’t let society intrude on your influence; we only get a short period of time to make the proper influence on our children. Live your life as an example they can follow.

This great nation was built of foundational principles, values, and morals. The retail machine is selling, and unfortunately we are still buying.

Just in case you were wondering, I’m only 35.

Remember Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful


Kevin