Sticking It To The Man

“Life in a box is better than no life at all. I expect.”

Tom Stoppard wrote those words in his play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”. I wonder at its truth. Do we expect that life in a box is better than no life at all? The North American Ideal, built on the American Dream, the Wild West and the Gold Rush tell us no, we’d rather be dead than boxed. However, especially in North America, we work long hours in cubicles, offices, and even at home turning our very living spaces into boxes of toil…for what? in order to buy a bigger box to live in and a fancier box to drive around in so that our neighbours and so-called friends will envy us? But we have no friends; who has the time? All we have are colleagues and acquaintances and a perhaps a family we don’t spend enough time with.

I find it interesting that our society disparages all addictions save workaholism. It is just as destructive to the individual, the family and community as any other addiction, yet it is encouraged and rewarded. I am beginning to believe that the current trendiness of zombies is because we identify strongly with the creatures. Sleep deprived, culture deprived, we shuffle, shambolic, through our own lives, over-worked so that we can buy more comforts and entertainments to ensure the anesthetizing of our minds is complete. “I am dissatisfied with my lot in life, quick turn on the HiDef television before I think about quitting my job and boycotting consumerism.” Perhaps there is more to the rise of the big box stores than we realized…

...Or maybe I Just don't feel like going to work today.