Goodwill, and All the Rage

It's that time of the year where peace on earth is touted as being the primary focus for all throughout the world and in many countries, the lines get longer. Longer lines for shopping, longer wait times in traffic... it's all enough to make goodwill disappear in the blink of an eye.

Music by Mound City by Coleman Hawkins (recorded 1929)

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This podcast is recorded in a style that pays homage to talents like Miss Monitor (Tedi Thurman) and explores topics designed to stimulate conversations. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

After all, if the pursuit of spreading cheer and goodwill is making you angry, or at the very least, those around you less tolerable, then maybe we shouldn't bother trying to pursue goodwill. I'm the lovely Ray, and I'm delighted to spend a little time with you today. I was born and raised in the U.S., but over the past few years, I've been fortunate enough to spend some time chatting online with people from all over the world, thanks to a little website called Cambly. I don't have any strong opinions about the Cambly English Learning Platform. But my conversations with folks from other countries have left me with a lot to think about. So, in this podcast, I thought I'd share a little with you and maybe we can keep the conversation going. This podcast is about stripping down and having real conversations. So, if you're looking for someone to dress things up, well, as the old saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. I save my lipstick for the stage, dearest, and dressing up for the bedroom. I do not dress up my conversations with friends. So I'd love to have a chat. Merry Christmas. Oh, welcome back, darlings. It's that wonderful time of the year where many people are in the holiday spirit celebrating what is it? Goodwill towards men. And yet I find that the intention to be kind and to spread goodwill hasn't quite spread far enough to as many people as it really should. After all, it's that most wonderful time of the year when many of us are stuck in traffic. Some people will be experiencing road rage, and there seems to be very little tolerance when it comes to precious things like getting the latest electronics on sale. Why is that? Why is it that the time of year when people are supposed to be loving and giving and letting go of all of the drama and pain from earlier in the year, the time where we're supposed to forgive the flaws of our fellow man and remember to love one another. It also happens to coincide when people prioritize what they can get and for how little they can get it for. It's an absolutely unusual paradox, if I do say so. Because in the United States, there's this strange balance between flaunting luxury goods, luxury cars, luxury living, big house, big car, big brandings. Hey, if you can't afford it, go ahead and get that big booty and big lips to match. And if you can't afford it, not a problem, baby, because you too can take out a loan, a line of credit. Pay in installments, live the life you want to live today. Yes. All your heart's desires can be fulfilled just with the click of a button. And yet, as much as we love living large in the US, there's also this tendency to crave a good deal. That's right. Why spend and pay full price when you can get it on sale? Black Friday post Christmas shopping. Get as much as you can. The stores are looking to clear their shelves to make room for new products, new merchandise that you'll be craving next year. I mean, let's be honest. It is way more common to score social bragging rights when you say, Look at this, I got it for a deal, for a steal, than it is to say, look at this, I paid full price. Something about that paying full price doesn't make you seem like a very smart shopper, a very savvy deal maker. And if there is anything that is truly all American, it is being a savvy deal maker. So how about it, darlings? Have you found yourself feeling overwhelmed with the demands of others this holiday season? But how much of that feeling of overwhelm is from demands that you put it on yourself, baby? Mm that need to find the perfect gift for your loved one, that need to get along with people you know you don't get along with, but you desire to create peace just for a moment to appease other family members, or to simply support, uphold, present affront to keep the illusion going. Is it really the most wonderful time of the year when so many of us seem to be downright miserable? I do wonder after all, if the pursuit of spreading cheer and goodwill is making you angry, or at the very least those around you less tolerable, then maybe we shouldn't bother trying to pursue goodwill. Maybe it's okay to just drop the pretense and to say, you know what? I don't think I want to go to that person's house this holiday season because they fucking piss me off.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

Or maybe this is the year you say Okay, no more.

SPEAKER_04 8:13

I'm not buying any presents or I've just purchased presents. I am not going to look for that great sale that will support my dream of buying a new couch or a new car or a bigger TV because fact of the matter is I want to get out and do more stuff. I want to live a different life. I don't want to be sitting on this couch all the time. So I don't know. It all just seems so comical, doesn't it? The things we say we don't want, the things we say we should and could live without the things we do in order to make ourselves happier somehow just lead to more misery. The catch that makes you happy today brings that bill payment that'll make you pissed off tomorrow. Or maybe you're one of those few people who paid for it outright in cash. No debt. Bravo, my love. I'm so proud of you, and yet why is it that you now find yourself going, I hate my fucking job. I can't wait to retire. I can't wait to get out of here. Um would I be a bit remiss for saying that had you not spent the money for your immediate happiness, you could have applied that money towards early retirement.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

I guess it wasn't supposed to say that.

SPEAKER_04 10:29

Oh well, my darlings. The difficulty of being happy all the time. Maybe maybe it's a dream that we should just all forget about. Wouldn't it be interesting if we were all absolutely miserable all the time? But really, would the world be a better place? Hmm, I think not. I feel like I can turn on the news and listen to some politicians or rather political commentators who just seem absolutely miserable all the time, and I can listen to their bullshit, and that would give me an idea of whether or not the world would be a better place, which sadly would not. And so I guess our pursuit for happiness is one that should not be abandoned, and yet could we be in a better off world where none of us let anything bother us, and we're just happy and accepting all of the time, twenty-four hours a day.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

I don't know. I don't know if that is utopia, and I don't know if it exists or if it should exist.

SPEAKER_04 12:18

I mean when you look at children, children are pretty happy most of the time. They have their toys, they can be happy for hours doing what they want, letting their imaginations run wild.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

But what about us adults, huh?

SPEAKER_04 12:42

Is our path to happiness through playing with our toys. I mean if those toys are causing death, then I guess that's not the right way. Or if those toys are causing us to feel regretful after the purchase or anguished about the next purchase, well then I guess it's not the right way. And yet let's think about this for a moment, babe. If as adults, we just got to play that our imaginations run wild. We didn't have to worry about work or bills. Somebody else is paying for it.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Like that really make us happier. Perhaps perhaps for a while.

SPEAKER_04 13:42

But I think in the same way, a child can at some point become bored, want something more, something else, something different, want a cookie. Us adults we'll go through the same thing. Maybe we're going through it right now. Maybe that's why we're all so easily annoyed during the holiday season. And you might be saying, Oh, not me. I'm full of smiles, watching the children laugh, telling old stories, remembering my childhood.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

And yet I wanna know.

SPEAKER_04 14:39

I wanna see it for myself if you're still smiling when someone cuts you off in traffic, if you're still smiling when that one thing you needed from the store to come make the complete and perfect experience for your guest has been pulled right from your grass by some other person.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

I don't know. I don't know. Maybe maybe that changes things just a little. Maybe that attempt to express goodwill, to express constant cheer fades just a touch. Well, thanks for stopping by, baby.

SPEAKER_04 15:40

I've certainly enjoyed reconnecting until next time.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

It's been lovely to chat.