Paper or Plastic?

So, a few years ago, I went into my old High School for transcripts. I returned back to college. And I have to say, after being a long-term caregiver for so long. I am still, and I’m sure never going to be able to get used to modern culture. I told my classmates who were half my age, to never get used to “NOT” having freedoms.

What Did I mean? Well, when I was in High School, I could walk through the side doors with a pizza. If I did that today, I would be taking my life in my own hands. We could steal kisses and…NO not kiss without consent…it’s a term…it means. Nevermind, not have to worry about being caught on camera.

Our eery move wasn’t tracked by cellphone, and advertisers weren’t up our assholes 24/7. We had space to play and create. We had private thoughts. It was lonelier and sometimes the isolation was unbearable, but it made us try harder. It made us care more.

We didn’t have metal detectors or have to present ID to get into the High School. We didn’t have cops stationed in our schools. And this was 1988. So…I had returned in 1998 and was SHOCKED the students called the teacher “Miss”. I asked, “What happened to Mrs.______”. My teacher said, “It’s cultural,” I responded. “Disrespect is not cultural,” Things were so much easier and free when I was in HS….I realize I sound ancient now. I once had a stranger pull me out of my class because they saw an artwork I had done on display and wanted to hire me.

The world looks different from the perspective of the free. I quickly learned that you couldn’t say things, even jokingly to a friendly college staff, like: “We can make you look sexy in that photo,” or when working on a promo, I said to my college therapist. JOKINGLY…”OMG, your voice sounds like a little girl on your answering machine (when we shoot the promo) we can do some warm-ups to make you sound older, more sultry.” Both comments got me shunned, and dropped from therapy. By reasoning “adults”. I was on friendly terms with for many months if not a year. So now it’s impolite to ask if a person is gonna have kids or to in any way talk about myself or others as sexual beings. We are to say, do and be…nothing. That’s how we move forward now. Be like everyone else, dress like them, act like them and say nothing out of line, and you will be rewarded.

We think we’re free, but we are not. And it’s eroding all the time. We are free to argue about bullshit, and that’s it. In the words of George Carlin, the only choice we have is “paper or plastic” and one is gonna cost you and rip open on the way home, and the other is gonna pollute the planet. Choose wisely.