Pill For That?!


It's easy, just open the bottle, get a pill, take the simple action of ingesting it, and you're good! The ties associated with a simple action to a strong resolution amazes me. The psychological connection, lack of commitment, and this action seems to be so metaphoric for our society today. Too short, too tall, too fat, too skinny, don't like your skin color, depressed, distracted, can't pay attention, can't focus, have a headache, don't want to get pregnant, want to get pregnant, losing your hair, have gray hair, nails not healthy, back hurts, ... there's a pill for that! We medicate our society so heavily, it's cliche for me to mention. Granted, some require pills that are medically required to allow them to survive, but there are so many miscellaneous pills for so many random things now, that our world is a pharmaceutical playground. I am not dismissing the Autism and A.D.D. epidemics, but if a kid has a problem in school now, they're assumed to be special needs, put on medication, and shoved through the revolving door. I think we focus on pacifying or quickly masking the problem with short term solutions vs. discovering the stimulus for a child's behavior, patterns, and ailment. Again, I do NOT dismiss the importance and severity of the 'Autism Epidemic', and am an advocate for finding a cure, discovering ways to cope, manage, improve, and find ways to deal with an issue that faces 1 in 100 (last stat I heard) new borns. My thoughts & prayers extend to folks who are faced with having to deal with an autistic child, as it takes a lot of time, money, stress, but I seek not to label them a 'burden, problem, ...', but am speaking with a voice relayed to me from 3 friend and family members with an autistic child. There are now groups, funds, government channels, and other resources that are growing, schools improving upon, but can use some enhancement out there now. It is simply not easy, and challenges many aspects of life, but I seek not to make this blog about autism, as that could be a book in itself, I turn focus back to our over 'pill-aged & pill-ated' society.


I am NOT dismissing the importance of medicine and certain pills for things that are necessary. I am bringing attention to the fact that when growing up, if you had a scratch, bruise, bump, or ailment, you sucked it up, went back outside on your bike, and made sure you were home before the street lights came back on, and hoped the doors were unlocked. Then we became 'latch key kids'. Wow, we had a label for that. We were a generation of changing family dynamic, breaking the 50% divorce rate. We drank mercury filled water from the hose, were rich if we owned a video gaming system, or lucky enough to have a friend who had one. We played 'guns', pretending we were fighting each other in the street with toy guns, and didn't go on to rob banks, be murderers, or get arrested for having a realistic toy gun. We were raised by single mothers, faced ridicule for wearing pro wing shoes by kids who were lucky enough to afford Nike's, defined status by how well we played sports, excelled in school, or who was quick witted & confident. Now we have an epidemic of obesity, youth violence, bullying, bottled water, health issues, mental issues, home issues, and numerous others. I urge the improvement of health, parental involvement, playing some sort of sport, limiting video and (ironically) computer addiction, and that can be a start for a new 'pill'. The 'parental involvement, bully managing, get more active, communicate, learn, confront reality' pill. It's not easy, and we are all on a journey, I seek not to say that every society & generation doesn't face it's challenges, but it seems we shift blame vs. shift change, don't confront things, mask with excuses, and don't know how to work hard anymore as the dynamic has changed, attitude has changed, and people feel entitled, expect, and demand without earning more than ever. I am off my soapbox, and back on the 'Pill For That' ranting, ha. There's just not a save all for everyone pill for the numerous challenges our communities & families face, but there are better approaches such as eating right and better fitness vs. pills to lose weight, as this approach applies to so many other issues we're facing. We've become a society of empty promises, actions, excuses, 'sorrys' ("I'm sorry and "My Bad's" don't make things okay, action to resolve does ; ), then selfishly go on our way. We need to instill a renewed sense of leadership, values, energy, positive attitude, work, and ideals. I take accountability I am not perfect either, but a work in process to progress as well (I address your 'who does this person think he is, he's not perfect' thought, ha).

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose..." (or another pill to take) Janis Joplin. Perhaps there was a point here! Freedom is great, and the best thing ever supported. What we were founded on in USA! We are now united, but in a bubble filled with a structure where medicine is big business, and where profits stand to be made at the cost of pushing pills, insurance companies, and government partnerships with certain companies, compromising quality for cost.

I wish there was a chill pill, but I am sure there probably is. Have a headache, reach for Aspirin. Can't focus, you have ADD. Can't sleep, take a few sleeping pills or NyQuil PM. Allergies, no problem, take Clariton. Pain, Sudafed, Advil, Motrin, and more. There's a pill for everything. Watch commercials, look at NASDAQ and see the latest and greatest stocks that soar, yup, Pharmaceutical Companies! Why not call them "Drug" companies, that is what they do and are! That word has a negative connotation, so we'll go with "Pharma" companies.

I do not dismiss the necessity for pills/medication required to treat cancer, or other unfortunate diseases that are very serious, or also for surgery for pain such as morphine. I believe though, that our society has become addicted to the "pill program". We are living longer, but why is it that societies that don't have drug programs like the United States have people living longer in communities such as Cuba or France?! There, they have longer vacations, lower medical cost/barriers to obtain treatment, and more 'family' focused, but the great nation of America cannot learn and extract how things are managed and model them. I am NOT anti American, as I am American, and love my country, freedom, democracy, and people. I am however challenging us to change the way we think, and take action to adjust how we obtain treatment for the better. I also am NOT saying to become socialist or communist, but we have a system that we could focus less on profit, and more on people. That is how this country got founded, and now our systems are more capitalistic, and health care less functional due to entities such as insurance companies. A great voice that amplified issues in our health care in America with genuine honesty was Michael Moore's "Sicko". I heard of him, never paid much attention to him, heard a lot of bad things, but once I randomly decided to check out more on who he was, and watch his films/read, I was inspired (with anger more than anything, and not at him, but our infrastructure/systems that are supposed to help us, but have ended up inspiring implosion!). Watch "Sicko" by Michael Moore, it will change your perspectives (a great film, eye opening, riveting, and the compelling stories - even the biggest anti-Moore-ite was part of the very subject of his film which he wrote an anonymous check to help his ailing wife, wow, will make you wonder if you too will be one of them, and how many more there are out there, thank you Michael, I certainly appreciated this movie, as I did Fahrenheit 9/11, inspiring our leaders to be more accountable and of more context/substance in our great country I admire, and appreciate our soldiers/others who defend our freedom - my prayers and thoughts extend to those who have suffered losses, as we are a "Community of One", and all lose during such times). We're losing our own quite wars internally in America, distracted by so many things, leaders not accountable, us as a community/people not taking action to remove people not performing with quality in political / other positions. I was once Republican, but now trying to define where I stand on issues, and seeing I am at times a Libertarian, Democratic, and at times inviting a 'Reforming Revolution" to change our society for the better! All without a pill, but desire to improve with a "Renaissance" in our communities!!! I challenge a corporation to get things done without high government regulation, lobbying, buying off Dr.'s, politicians, and fancy commercials. Is there a pill for that? NO, but there are pills to numb us with distracting commercials showing us how to improve our performance physically/romantically, yet at the cost of side effects of death, dizziness, heart disease, high blood pressure, blindness, going deaf, and other byproducts of taking the very pills to improve, yet steal from our core functions/values. We absorb one thing at the cost of losing necessary others.

If there were a pill for improving our world, I would take that, and dispense it to others. I could also take this "Peace Pill" and sell it at insanely large profits, or would be tempted to. I would probably then invent a pill that helps you play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn could while they were here on our precious Earth, but you know, there isn't such a thing! The secret pill, like anything worth having in this life, is obtained via hard work and investing your actions/time the right way! The secret to being in shape is not earned through what are essentially hyped up caffeine pills, but through investing your time in the right exercise, the right way, with the right diet, sleep, and stress management. NOT pills. In essence, it's a 'reality pill". You have 'love making challenges', maybe you can invest more time talking and being emotionally engaged vs. having to take pills? Have trouble with diabetes, weight, or high blood pressure? Perhaps if you changed your diet, worked out, stress, sleep, etc. you could improve your life style/health?! We want quick resolve to items that require investment of energy and time. Wake up! You need to realize it takes discipline, hard work, and you have to make it fun : )

If you have an ailment that is life or death, such as high blood pressure, and you require medication to adhere to maintaining life due to your physiology make up, take medicine. I am NOT saying everything can be cured without pills, but do believe in the holistic capabilities our bodies and Earth has that we can utilize better to improve our health mentally, physically, and spiritually. The easy short cut ways show quick short term effects, but long term, you will require working out and eating right to be in shape, which I am sorry folks, doesn't happen through a pill. Shocker I know, but you can thank yourself for being lazy, looking for shortcuts, or being a victim of commercialization/media. Either way, stand up, take action where you know you need to, and confront the items you need to with action! No pill for that, just eye opening challenges that you have the opportunity to change your life with! I want to be stronger, faster, live longer, a better guitarist, a pro athlete, improve my non-profit, improve my marketing & branding efforts, ease the stress of life, find that fit/dream job where I can be of purpose/present/value, leave a great legacy, eliminate poverty, help people find jobs, improve the economy, speak better, write better, help my family better, improve schools and education, generate peace around the world, reduce hate, eliminate oppression, make everyone and myself feel happy & fulfilled, cure cancer/pain/hurt, improve families/opportunities, have others achieve their dreams, have my dream car, laugh more, and so many other things. Do you have a pill for that?

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