degrading the existence of other "non-sentient" beings), we thirst for knowledge and are less than impatient in the process.
We look for truth, but truth is subjective. We choose to interpret beings we have never met -- or can truly understand -- in language totally inadequate for the situation. It would be like calling an emerald nothing but a green rock. The thing is, at that point, we have no other words to describe it. We don't realize it's not necessarily a rock and an emerald is beyond being merely "green" in a way incomprehensible.
Grass is green. But is grass on the same level as an emerald? Of course not. Why? Because the world is covered in grass. If there were as many emeralds as blades of grass, no one would give much more thought to emeralds past "Look: another green rock." And that's assuming people get that far.
I mean, do we think about the common things anymore? It's not likely. And I don't mean trees. Why? Because we hear about trees dying everyday. But are there "Save the Grass" foundations? No. Why? We don't need them. That'd be as needed as a "Save the Mosquito" campaign, especially in light of all the lovely diseases we want to spread.
My friend once said to me, "What we need is a good plague." Well, find me a "good" plague and I'll think about it. I say we start a plague that cures AIDS. That'd be a good one. Or a plague that spread Elated Cow disease. Can't things be happy for once?
I guess it all depends on your idea of happiness. It's the simple things in life. Lose expectations, and things like water can matter to you again. Have you ever pondered a glass of water? Well, I'm hoping I'm not the only one saying no. Because I honestly haven't. Water is everywhere; why bother worrying about it going anywhere?
The idea of all the world's water supply drying up is about as real as my concept of death. But that's what being a teenager is sometimes. You're old enough to know the tricks, but still young enough not to apply them. And what fun would it be if we understood our mortality? I'd say that there'd be more people on mood enhancers.
Not that mood enhancers are the answer. Because maybe in the immediate -- the now -- they are, but not in the long run. Prozac (and all its little FDA-approved buddies) is like the TV, in that it takes away your ability to think. It feeds you what you need to escape from life "safely," thus leaving you in a plastic sanctioning of happiness.
For a little while, it's euphoria, until you realize that you're happy but a bit unfocussed. So to balance that, you're put on some ADD fighter...and that, too has some adverse side effect. So you end up on four or more medications and THAT, my friend, does not make you a happy person! Therefore, your Prozac gets upped...it's the pharmacist cycle; worse than a trapped pattern sometimes.
But that is why people watch TV to combat emotional problems: it doesn't lead to other drugs (unless you're watching nothing but pro-drug shows). Instead, some are lent to midnight credit card sprees; infomercials are tricky.
What amazes me is that there are as many infomercials as there are clumps of grass. But unlike grass,