by Heather Quarry

Created on: August 29, 2008

Such a strong word to use as a title for an essay, or for that matter, any form of writing.
The destroyer of man. The egotistical journey-seeker of materialistic betterment. The dignitary of non-compassionatism.

Ok. Now I have all that out of my non-materialistic, often simplistic system I should get on with writing how I really feel about materialism in a form that can be understood by all readers. I should imagine you have already fathomed that I do not exactly turn to the side of materialistic values. Being a person that has lived on both sides of the proverbial silver spoon, I feel I can write freely here about my opinion on the subject in question.

Yes, I do use computers and watch a television set on occasion but most of my time is spent doing things that most of my counterparts find boring or non commercial. If it doesn't make money then they believe it isn't worth doing. I tend to disagree. Simple, meaningful events in our lives seem to forever go un-noticed or unappreciated. This realisation saddens me deeply because I believe the things that should really matter to every day people are slipping past them without even a second thought about their innocence or beauty.

Two places I love to be, with a pen and paper, are in cemeteries and near water. I allow my mind to roam freely over headstones and through breakers. I then transfer the random, non calculated words to an induced rambling over paper with a flow of well aimed ink from pen.

Watching an ant blindly going about its daily tasks, or someone being mesmerised by a blade of soft lush green grass dancing on a breeze can be more rewarding than any payment in a bank account for purchasing the most expensive gifts, furniture, clothes or hair perms.

Have you ever watched an elderly person's face when you give them a wave or say "hi" in passing, or experienced a child's delight at the opportunity to walk with their pet to the park? How can anybody think that materialism is more important that those pleasantries.

Sitting under a star-studded cloudless sky with only a moonbeam for light, with your favourite person. Imagine it. Is that not one of the most inspirational, vibrant events in ones life? A grand-daughter brushing her grandmother's hair whilst they make up nursery rhymes together. Surely that overpowers any materialistic event in history as we know it.
Cradling a sleeping baby in your arms and feeling the warmth of their very existence laying against your own. Now that is realism and in my opinion, puts materialism truly in its place where it should be. Out in the cold with the rest of life's hard-edged modern day bad habits.

Learn more about this author, Heather Quarry.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.