In my workplace, the post office, I see it everyday: materialism gone wild. In the end, however, each individual's lust for money and goods turns into a proverbial "catch 22": if you can afford to own it, when do you find time to enjoy it. Such is the case in the middle class/blue collar world. The base pay is around $50,000, but there are a plethora of greedy characters who work enough overtime to earn $80,000. I have suggested that many of them should rent a cot or hammock and move into the office. Why not? They come close enough to living there already.

There are a few of us single people who fall on the leisure end of the Laffer Curve, and naturally we make our jokes:

"I'm 'such and such' and my job is delivering mail."
"What's your hobby?"
"Working overtime!"

That's the sad truth of the matter. People beg and plead to work overtime on their assigned days, and then they absolutely insist upon working their day off EVERY WEEK. These are the people with nice houses on ten acres of ground or Corvettes in the garage or ATV's or... You get the picture. It's all good. They work hard in order to have the finer things in life, but...

This is what you hear...

"All I have time for these days is mowing my HUGE lawn!"
"Nope, I haven't had the 'vette out in a few weeks."
"I fell asleep watching the game on my 60" flat screen..."

What's the point of it all? Life is short, and there are more important things than money and the accumulation of goods. Live a modest lifestyle and you retire at 60. Work until you drop and buy everything that's trendy and a) you'll never see the end of your toil and b) all your "stuff" will do is draw dust. Being materialistic is monetarily expensive, but in the end the biggest loss is giving up the best times of your life.

Learn more about this author, T.C Leonard.
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