One issue that is fresh in my mind that deserves some discussion is more empirical than based off of rigorous assessment. Earlier in the break my family and I traveled to Manchester, Vermont, to stay at a posh 'Hotel & Spa,' an overpriced haven for the well-to-do (whose ranks do not seem to be dwindling at all) nestled in the Green Mountains on the fringes of a quaint town.
The patrons of this pretentious rusticity were of an especially interesting ilk. Their glances were, rather than looks of acknowledgment, appraisals of worth. I felt like an especially crude and shaggy (a haircut is way overdue) piece of meat upon making eye contact with those present. Walking into a room, sitting down to eat, was more of a show for these people (think: 'see and be seen') than simply an act of rest or nourishment.
Moreover there was a forced patience that regulated intra-patron and patron-staff interaction , an elaborate anachronistic dance of accommodation and acquiescence that made most conversations beyond trivial. Civility trumped reality. I preferred to stay silent and beyond the bounds of such customs.
I found it repugnant to be around, and was glad to only have stayed for two nights. Please note that my family and I were able to afford the great luxury of such company because of the benefits accrued from years of credit card purchases (AMEX's 'Starwood Rewards Points'), in addition to newly acquired inheritance. While briefly in their midst, I vehemently deny membership or association with those materialist and insecure wealthy.
Aside from this brief journey into the hideous and fabricated world of the elite, I have been biding my time by entering the mind of the late-DFW. Infinite Jest is a complex but brilliant piece of writing. The world he has created in the novel is illuminating and exciting, and I am still not yet half done. Reading this book is a humbling experience. As a writer I can only strive to match the verbal acuity DFW brought to bear.
In closing, today is the final day of 2008. If it is your custom, I hope your Resolutions represent a subjective improvement upon the life you are living, and will come to make you a happier, healthier person. Be they 'moral' or not, let them be true for you.
1 comment:
I googled infinite jest and definitely want to read it. Have you ever read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin? Itsounds similar to infinite jest. Also I was surprised by the plotline of one north american union, some say this is actually underway like a UK but for north america and the Amero as the new currency.
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