CONSUMERISM by Elena Casado

We all live in a consumer society. We all feel the urge to have, to buy, to covet, to possess. We all have cravings we try to satisfy on the spot. We all pile up useless things that we thought were  an absolute must to survive, something we could not possibly live without. That is bad enough, but what is worse is that our eagerness to consume does not stop there. Not only do we use and get rid of disposable objects, but we do the same with people.

We consume people. We use them, get tired of them and get rid of them, just like that. They become disposable. We get to know a person and consider the benefits we can get from their company and all the services that person can provide for us. Once we do not fancy them any more, they become useless, bothersome, a nuisance. We just leave them hanging there. Why explain? Why waste our time talking things over? It is too hard and requires a big effort to find the right moment to look that person in the eye, be honest and say how we feel or just give our reasons why we should part ,go our own separate ways and move on. Friendship is a heavy burden, let's just keep the distance.

We can erase a person from our life as if it was a corrupted, useless file. We press delete and that person will disappear from our lives and our thoughts forever. We can erase people from our memories effortlessly and painlessly. Why should we be sympathetic? Why should we put ourselves in somebody's shoes? Why should we experience the frustration, sadness or disappointment that person might feel because of our actions?

Let us cover our faces with a mask. Let us protect ourselves with a shield. That way nobody will get close enough to our hearts to break it, or hurt us. We mistake sensations for feelings, pleasure for happiness. Oh, my fellow travellers, life is too short. Let's just enjoy it!