The Lost Art

Growing up and hearing the term "class" (as in "she's a classy lady" or "that showed real class") I figured it meant someone had money and prestigious breeding. As I got out into the big bad myself and gained some wisdom of my own, I came to consider it as most do, as something of high quality. Today, I realized it's most relevant and modern meaning. Class is being intelligent and respectful enough to fin in (without any ingratiating whatsoever) with any group or setting. And most folks I've come across just ain't got it.



Leadership is at an all time low. As generations have given away to each other, we made copies of copies (just like Fight Club) of our foundations and groundings. Maybe it's economic trends or just plain old hyper evolutionary jadedness...but we lost the importance of decency. SO much so, that people are afraid to step outside the parameters to help one another, and that's an awful feeling, and an even awfuller commentary on our times. It's a word.



Reflected everywhere from our love of drama (how could so many sub-par reality hate mongering shows be so addictive otherwise) to the apparent need to full-on rape and plunder to make a buck, I think a lack of empathy is a worse epidemic than Identity Theft. Times are tough but where does it end? Where in the EFFing H did it begin?? I enjoy a good non-swear.



Self-sacrifice isn't an arduous thing. Nor is respecting privacy, or respect in general. One of the worst side effects of all this joyless, blinded, schlepping through life, is that every scrap of self awareness that could be put towards helping the matter is instead used on finding something to distract and/or shove it out of mind. I'm guilty of it on occasion.

Countless "customer-service" calls (which btw have been relegated to a dismal monotone that has no desire to sound slightly enthused even, let alone help you with your grievance that has no pertinence to them anyway) are ended with me disgusted with the human race and anyone who represents it at any level. Via cell phone, i-phone, e-mail, BBM, fax, TTY, telegram....what have you. I almost loathe those very devices. I think they've created a digital and electronic wedge between us and our warmth. No one has to be accountable to a piece of machinery. Convenience has bred complacency. Is that it?



All I know for sure is that things ought to get better soon...otherwise all of us humans will start rioting in the streets of humanity, for lack of any other want or recourse. I'm hoping by then I won't get caught scoring microwaves and DVDs with the rest of the fray.