Why Freedom is NOT in an Instagram Account.
Do you ever wake up at 3am stressed from the worries of life unable to fall back asleep? No? Well just wait. The doctor kindly informed me this is just a part of getting old. On this particular night I unwisely started reading a book about Jewish life under Soviet rule, and let’s just say it did not lead to a sound night of sleep. Violence aside, its horrific to imagine a time when the government felt it their duty to educate children, denying parents the right to do so. In the schools which were set up to reeducate children away from their traditional roots, cruelties such as force feeding Jewish students bread on Pesach were not unheard of. Whilst sleep was not on the agenda upon entering these pages, it did lead me to think about what freedom looks like today, and some of the silly things we find ourselves enslaved to.
Instagram accounts
I HATE Instagram. There I said it. If I hadn’t have decided to complicate my simple life with this whole “starting a blog” business I would have closed my account a long time ago. These days it’s a necessary evil however and whether you are selling clothes or opening a bookstore, the followers beside your name DEFINE your self-worth. Did you know that following someone just so they follow you, and then unfollowing them is a thing?! What is that all about?? We are victims to a system that runs on the amount of likes a visual picture receives and quite frankly its exhausting. In those early hours of the morning as I hid under the couch in fear that the KGB would shortly come breaking down my door, it dawned upon me that Instagram doesn’t rule the world and it’s only a matter of time before it gets sucked up into the chasm of bygone social media apps only to be overshadowed by the next ludicrous waste of time.
House updates
Fortunately, we live in a city where affording a house is a reality and with that comes all the fun house remodeling can bring. Renovating our kitchen to make it kosher was almost as traumatic as giving birth, sans the drugs. I know I sound like the kind of person that could make walking out the front door sound stressful, but in all honesty, we live on the bottom of a hill which means the entire front porch get frozen over with ice, so dramatizing that is easily within reach. Anyhow, indecisive people should really not be allowed to renovate anything because similar to gambling addicts, it could leave them bankrupt. For example, deciding you want the overhang of your kitchen countertop to be 1 inch instead of 2 inches is almost as deflating as getting a new sheitel cut the wrong way, times 100. Back to me at 3am in the morning hiding from the KGB, as I glanced around at my cozy home, I realized I DON’T HAVE to update anything. Maybe this year could be a break from house remodels. That way not only will I perhaps sleep better at night, but also be able to buy paper towels without freaking out about amassing debt greater than the United States. Some time spent enjoying the people living in this house and not just the refinished wood floors would definitely do everyone some good.
Parking Meter Officers.
It’s time to let go of our anger towards these members of society. I know that’s the last thing anyone that just got a ticket 5 minutes after their meter ran out wants to hear, but that’s why I’m choosing this platform to convey such sentiments. Far, far away from anyone that could possibly punch me in the face. See, maybe Instagram is good for something after all? I’m sure we’ve all been enslaved to such anger before unless we’re super human and can always live the adage of “it’s all for the good” and not just say it. Continuing with increasing possibilities of getting seriously injured I’d like to point out that these people really ARE just doing their jobs, and if anything, we should really be sympathizing with the fact that this is what their life has panned out to instead of construing revenge plots inside our heads. WELL this paragraph is getting off to a very violent tone. The point is, don’t shoot the messenger and DON’T let it ruin your day.
If I’ve conveyed one thing with these sentiments its hopefully this: We are SPOILED rotten if these are our everyday problems and not the KGB who I swear just climbed on my roof. Off course there are people living today who face serious challenges much greater than these, only heightening our need to appreciate our own simplicities even further. Such obstacles aside, in comparison to our history, we are so lucky to be living in a time where PHYSICAL survival is not the issue, leaving us completely free to explore our SPIRITUAL well-being, without some guy in a fur hat with a very stern face whose reflection I’m pretty sure I just saw in the window, dictating which Jewish traditions we can or cannot keep. So, don’t spoil It, make the most of it, and get some sleep would you.