Like A Puppet

I feel that all of us are like puppets living in this society, the master controlling the strings, being the all-encompassing wealth, social status etc.

The jaded average man blindly follows the system like a marionette.

This system is powered by social norms, which is in turn, fueled by mainstream media.

Earn more Money, says the system, Buy a House, Get a Car, Get a Platinum Credit Card, Get a Condo...

So the man finds himself slogging his guts out to accumulate credit points for his wealth and prestige...

Have you made your first million? The system asks.

The man blindly assumes with steel-laden conviction that the depth of his pockets is the reason for his existence. He works longs hours and finally at the age of 30, he earns his first million.

He promptly reports back to the system. Society begins to worship him, his face is splashed all over newspapers and magazines for the next unsuspecting victim to fall prey.

He sold his soul to money, and spent a lifetime in slavery.

How many of us are like the example of the man given above without even realizing it?

We are so ensconced securely in our comfort zone, that we work our butts off to achieve what society expects of us.

Other times, we merely follow the 'tide' blindly out of fear, because we're afraid of 'drowning' ourselves by going against the 'tide'. So, we conform to it and decide that the chosen path is the best route for oneself.

In our society, money is what defines a man. Because we live in a fucked-up system, one that sucks up to the rich and famous and conveniently disregards the plight of the less fortunate.

While heaping junk praise on that famous and beautiful Hollywood movie star or that high-flying achiever, do you stop to ply the roadside sweeper with the kind of sweet talk layered with over-flowing diabete-inducing sweetener?

The answer is no.

Simply because someone of such lowly status is undeserving of any praise or appreciation.

NOT WORTH THE EFFORT!
WHAT WOULD I GET IN RETURN?!

He's just some nameless dude on the streets.

Can you imagine? Paris Hilton gets to pocket US$1m just for making a public appearance at an event to WAVE!

In the hotel heiress's own words, "ALL I HAD TO FUCKING DO WAS WAVE!"

(I added in the bold words for extra effect.)

Now that sum of money would be enough to feed a whole Third-World nation, wouldn't it?

But, instead it gets into Paris Hilton's gold-rimmed bank account, instead of translating into food on the table for poor, starving African children.

It's a funny, unbalanced world out there.

Yet, it isn't as simple as flushing this sort of mentality out of our system.

It has to do with society again, and it's rapid speed-fire like progress.

Same reasoning why people just has no more time left for manners, apart from the fact that manners doesn't pay your credit card bills.

Is it a good thing then? Having skyscrapers and modern framework sprouting out at a massive rate? Look at the number of heartland malls that are increasing by the days. Gone are the days of the grocery shops, with its crammed and dilapidated conditions. These are slowly but surely being replaced by giant conglomerates, like 7-Eleven and Cheers.

The kindheartedness's of human nature are also slowly being dominated by negative elements of the human heart, like greed and selfishness.

These are basic human traits that have been existing since eons ago, but with the progress of technology, these traits are beginning to surface more and more in everyday life.

Sometimes, in the rapid transit of everyday life, I get lost in a hurricane of monotonous feelings of drone.

I wish life could be a little different, sprinkled with a little excitement, a little surprise, a little of something else...

But, I find myself getting consumed in the tornado of material pursuits, in the chase for that certificate that says you are qualified to become a contributive member of society, more commonly known as 'Diploma' or 'Masters' or 'PhD'.

These are the everyday 'natural disasters' that deserves to be exacerbated from our life, deserves to be extinguished in the similar fashion that a fire is being put out.

Sometimes, I secretly wish society would regress just so that humans' hearts could progress.