Swans Commentary »
April 9, 2007
by Aaron Karmin
(Swans - April 9, 2007)
How many Target, Kohl's, Olive Garden, Banana Republic, Office Max,
Costco, Wal*Mart, KFC, Pizza Hut, Bed Bath & Beyond, Gap, Borders,
Applebee's, Chili's, Starbucks chains are out there? Just an endless array of
franchises that homogenize America and help us to lose our bearings, as
all becomes one. I always can gain my bearing by the number of liquors
stores, check cashing, bail bonds, textbook shops, or outdoor strip malls
that exist along the road. I definitely am appreciative of distinction and
diversity, independent shops, and cost-effective options. It's odd to think
of places where the popular common thing to do is cruising up and down the
same strip and drinking at a bar or a coffee shop. It's the sense of being
anywhere and nowhere, like an airport where we all come and go, yet no
one remains. This pact with materialism stifles creativity, independence,
and growth.
It's funny in a sense, that despite all of our technology, fancy
electronics, and things dubbed progress, that it's the basic human
interactions that really offer the most substance and contributions to
life. The unique and ordinary experiences through simplicity of redwood
trees, birds soaring in the sky, a moonlight glow, climatic jazz, chalky
sunsets, tiny wildflowers, soft sandy beaches, steep mountain hikes,
fragile seashells, and endless conversation provide depth and enrichment.
So I guess what I'm getting at, is whether it's work or people or places or
activities, I see many of the same patterns: People clinging to achieve an
image of appearance based on fleeting capitalist propaganda, while fewer
folks get to the heart of their identity and seek quality.
Substance achieved in the every day ordinary opportunities that come our
way. Yet many in these two schools of thought are back to back and not eye
to eye.
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Internal Resources
Patterns which Connect
Myths and Realities
About the Author
Aaron Karmin is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois. He received a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, earned his M.A. in Clinical Professional Psychology and an Advanced Certification in Stress Management. He has traveled extensively through Egypt, Japan, Turkey, Europe, and Alaska. Karmin recognizes the need for flexibility and creativity to address the mind and body.
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This Edition's Internal Links
Questioning Forty Years Of Optimism - Gilles d'Aymery
How Did This Happen? - Carol Warner Christen
American Ingenuity And The Immigration Problem - Jan Baughman
Seymour Hersh, A Closet Swans Scanner? - Milo Clark
A Cornucopia Of Reality Via The Video - Philip Greenspan
Ancient Grease - Film Review by Charles Marowitz
A Long Ago Summer That Never Was - Book Review by Peter Byrne
The Day Of The 'Cello - Isidor Saslav
Maecho, filisika (Echoes, rundown) - Poem by Guido Monte & Francesca Saieva
A Paolo Conte - Poem by Marie Rennard
Letters to the Editor
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