Planet of the Arts Volume7 Issue5 page 4

LET'S EACH EAT A WHOLE PACKAGE OF
NICE’ COOKIES

by Justin Miles

Lately I have been feeling very, very,
very lazy, and what scares me is the
fact that I DON'T MIND. It seems to be
an ever increasing trend these days to
be finding ourselves in a mess, up
against rude sales clerks, silly peopie
pulling silly power trips, and an urban
population becoming more and more
indifferent to their actions and atti-
tudes towards their neighbours. What
has this got to do with my feeling lazy,
you may ask? I’mnot quite sure myself
to be honest, but in general I believe
that sometimes the way that I act, or
the way anyone else acts for that mat-
ter, reflects the mood of the people
around you. Unfortunately because of
my personal exposure to world events
(on TV!) on top of all the crap taking
place in Canada, I’m starting to think
that people are feeling and acting as
messed up as the rest of the world.

This is the way I see it, (and probably
- most quite a few others so please ex-
cuse the broken record...) you have
two kinds of people you may meet on
the street these days. The first is just
downright rude and assuming and gen-

erally act proud about being rude and

assuming, and the second, (which yours

truly is part of...) mostly tries very

hard to act polite in order to hide the

general hostility that she or he feels
when trying to cope with fellow city
folk. I believe perhaps most people
don’t realize all this hostility is grow-
ing or don’t care to talk about it (and
if you were to pursue the point they’d
make it very clear and blunt that it’s
time to drop it).

It’s boiling down into a fussing pot
out there in Canada land, people are
feeling so messed up they’ ve forgotten
that the general thing to doin life is just
to be NICE to one another. So much
time is spent on moping about the hard-
ships in life that I swear modern west-
ern society is breeding bad news. Not
so much in a physical manner with
regards to the environment, but more
so upstairs. It’sin the media, the nega-
tivity is being emphasized more and
more, can you recall the last time there
was some genuine positive news? Nope,
if you're honest. See? Even I have
succumbed to this negative kick, and
those who would tell me that I’m being

over sensitive or explain away that all

this is just the way it’s always been
would be calling up one of my A or B
listings again. (A)- They’re obviously
used to all this and are blind to it all
own desperate attempts to ignore it, or
(B)- They’re absolutely right, I’m over
sensitive. Hey perhaps we’re all be-
coming over sensitive in our own spe-
cial little ways. Perhaps that is all the
problem really is. If that is the case
then what has become of general re-
spect and caring for others?? Has these
two very important aspects of life taken
back seat to our over sensitivity? Per-
haps that is what is happening to Cana-
dians, and as Canadians, we are as
negative as hell, and it hurts.
Starting this article off on the nega-
tive foot, so to say, is very typical but
my point is proven in the sense that
something fundamentally is wrong with
the world right now. We seem to be a
society based on a stockpile of bad
news first with highlights of sort-of

good news occasionally. It seems a lit-

~ tledifficult to believe that all of Canada

and most of the world, not only now
but in the past has been structured on
BAD NEWS- perhaps there is a strange

It’s funny how a single telephone call can temporarily

alter one’s seemingly normal existence. Possibly things
have been going too well for you lately, and this sudden
disheartening news is nature’s way of bringing you down
to earth; making you aware that things don’t always
work out the way you would like them to.
* Welcome to the real world’ a voice whispersin your ear.
Strangely enough though, as you listen to the messen-
ger of the news, you are not completely surprised. Per-
haps it was anticipated, maybe it’s even a relief. And
while what is being said is not what you need to hear at
this point in time, your stomach doesn’t drop and your
heart doesn’t skip a beat. ‘ Why hasn’t the floor opened
up and swallowed me ?’, youask yourself as you continue
to listen, while slowly nodding your head. After putting
the phone down, it occurs to you that the reason why you
aren’t so upset over what you’ve just heard is because

you have in some way built up a resistance to certain

types of situations; not very much shocks or surprises

Alison Abell

you anymore.

by Justin Miles

Lately [have been feeling very, very,
very lazy, and what scares me is the
fact that DON'T MIND. Itseemstobe
an ever increasing trend these days to
be finding ourselves in a mess, up
against rude sales clerks, silly people
pull
population becom

‘power trips, and an urban
‘more and more
indifferent to their actions and a
tudes towards their neighbours. What
has this got to do with my feeling lazy,

youmay ask? P'mnot quite sure myself
to be honest, but in general I believe
that sometimes the way that I act, or
the way anyone else acts for that mat-
ter, reflects the mood of the people
around you. Unfortunately because of
my personal exposure to world events
(on TV!) on top of all the crap taking
plac
that people are feeling and acting as
messed up as the rest of the world.
‘This is theway Iseeit, (and probably
most q
use the broken record.

Canada, I’m starting to think

1 few others so please ex-
you have
two kinds of people you may meet on
the street these days. The first is just
downright rude and assumingand gen-
‘erally act proud about being rude and

assuming, and the second, (which yours
truly is part of...) mostly tries very
hard to act polite in order to hide the
general hostility that she or he feels
when trying to cope with fellow city
folk. I believe perhaps most people

or don’t care to talk about it (and
if you were to pursue the point they’d
make it very clear and blunt that it’s
time to droy

It’s boiling down into a fussing pot
out there in Canada land, people are
feeling so messed up they've forgotten
that the general thingtodoinlifeis just
to be NICE to one another. So much
timeisspentonmopingabout thehard-
ships in life that I swear modern west-
ern society is breeding bad news. Not

so much in a physical manner wi
regards to the environment, but more
soupstairs.It’sin the media, the nega-
tivity is being emphasized more and
‘more, can you recall the last ti
was some genuinepositivenews? Nope,
if you're honest. See? Even I have
succumbed to this negative kick, and
those who would tell me that I’m being
over sensitive or explain away that all

yethere

Planet ofthe Arts Volume 7 IssueS page 4

LET'S EACH EAT A WHOLE PACKAGE OF
NICE’ COOKIES

this is just the way it’s always been

would be calling up one of my A or B
listings again. (A)- They're obviously
used to all this and are blind to it all
own desperate attempts to ignore it, or
(B)- They’

sensitive. Hey perhaps we're all be-

absolutely right, 'mover

coming over sensitive in our own spe-

that is all the

cial little ways. Perha
problem really is. If that is the case
then what has become of general re-
spect and caringfor others? Hasthese
twovery important aspects oflife taken
back seat to our over sensitivity? P.

hapsthatiswhat ishappeningtoCana-
dians, and as Canadians, we are as
negative as hell, and it hurts.
Starting this article off on the nega-
tive foot, s0 to say, is very typical but
my point is proven in the sense that
nally iswrongwith
the world right now. We seem to be a
society based on a stockpile of bad
ith highlights of sort-of
ews occasionally. It seems a lit-
tledifficult tobelievethat all of Canada

and most of the world, not only now

something fundar

news first

good.

but in the past has been st
BAD NEWS. perhapsthereisastrange

It’s funny how a single telephone call ean temporarily
alter one’s seemingly normal existence. Possibly things
have been going too well for you lately, and this sudden
disheartening news is nature’s way of bringing you down
to earth; making you aware that things don’t always
work out the way you would like them to,
*Welcometo the real world’ a voice whispersin your ear.
Strangely enough though, as you listen to the messen-
ger of the news, you are not completely surprised. Per-
haps it was anticipated, maybe it’s even a relief. And
while what is being said is not what you need to hear at

this point in time, your stom:

doesn’t drop and your
heart doesn’t skip a beat. Why hasn’t the floor opened
upand swallowed me?’, youask yourself as you continue
to listen, while slowly nodding your head. After putting
the phone down, itoccurs to you that the reason why you

aren’t so upset over what

ou've just heard is because
you have in some way built up a resistance to certain
types of situations; not very much shocks or surprises

you anymore.

x