elyse (shearpop) wrote, @ 2005-07-28 18:33:00

mass produced identity
one of my housemates has an oh-so-significant
ring on that oh-so-significant finger
causing me to be surrounded by books,
magazines and conversations about love, the ring,
the dress, and the occasion.

today's fact of the day was that you are supposed
to spend approx 2 months way on your engagement ring.
when i think of how many people i know who could afford
to not have two months wage,
but how many people i know who have very sparkley rings
and very sparkley weddings
i am flabergasted. That's right, flabergasted.
*ashamed of my society*

i walked today, through town, as i often do.
i was overwhelmed with the people rushing in and out
of stores with massive bags filled--
with consumption.
do they need these items? not most of them...
but we all have everything to prove.
no one cares who we are, but rather what we appear to
be...
because our appearance informs them as to whether or not
we parrot the same cookie-cutter views...
we define ourselves by what we do or do not do,
by what we do or do not have...

i bought pretty brown trainers today.
it turns out they're a name brand. Who has ever heard of
diadora? I've always thought it was a rip-off company who was pretending to be
adidas...but i guess, now that i think about it, the names are
nothing alike.
i bought them without thinking, my bus was coming
but they were comfy and pretty and only £11!! I don't really have
comfy shoes.
And afterwards felt odd about this name brand thing.
But guess what?
That's ridiculous.
Who gives a flying ____ what name is on their heel?
It's just proof that I too buy into it all, just a different way.
I too have a mass produced identity--
the 'I don't' instead of the 'I do'

and the ring, the oh-so-significant one,
is lovely. when she was shopping for it she heard my voice
'i would never want...'
but today i was thinking and the truth is that yeah, if i
were choosing a ring for myself it'd take me years and it'd be
specifically what i would want...
but the significance is that it wasn't a ring she bought,
and it makes me sad that she had to choose it.
the significance was that it was bought for her and given to
her and symbolises. who cares what it looks like?
and it definitely didn't cost 2 months wages.

summer is depressing when you work with the homeless--
they multiply and there's nowhere for them to go.

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