“We’ve got a sort of brainwashing going on in our country. Do you know how they brainwash people? The repeat something over and over. And that’s what we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. We repeat it–and have it repeated to us–over and over until nobody bothers to even think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all of this, he has no perspective on what’s really important anymore.
Wherever I went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you all about it. ‘Guess what I got? Guess what I got?’
You know how I interpreted that? These were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can’t substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.
Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I’m sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you’re looking for, no matter how much of them you have.”
–From Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom
What an important message you (and Mitch Albom) have shared.
I feel REALLY fortunate that my mom clued me in early on that FRIENDS are way more essential for a happy and complete life than material goods. Bon, You have been continually teaching me that too – for oh so many years!!
THANK YOU!!
Our parents taught us well, Carole. We are lucky lucky lucky. And you and I have always sort of subscribed to that less is more thing. Love you. Have a great weekend.
This was beautiful.