Thursday, April 22, 2010

Live Simply

So on my way in this morning, I'm behind this car with a "Live Simply That Others May Simply Live" bumpersticker.

Irony much?

Of course, the person driving the car wants to be in charge of just how simply they will live, which is probably not far below where he or she could afford to.

I'm thinking of a boy in a grass hut in Africa.  Dirt floor.  Some grubs and grains gathered.   Watching the car with the "Live Simply" putting smugly off down the dirt road with her ipod blasting out some eco-folk rock.  And he cocks his head.  Shrugging.  And eats another bug.

Son look at the people lining up for plastic
Wouldn't you like to see them in the national geographic?
Squatting bare-assed in the dirt eating rice from a bowl
With a towel on their head and maybe a bone in their nose
See that asshole with a peace-sign on his licence plate
Giving me the finger and running me out of his lane

[..]

They give no thought*
They buy as much as they want
They give no thought
Just as long as there's enough for them

*(yes, I realize "thought" is not the word Ben Folds used. I cleaned it up for my blog here, and it really doesn't change the meaning).

1 comment:

Cylar said...

Yeah, that "live" bumper sticker is up there with the "Coexist" one as top contender for "Most annoying & most common liberal bumper sticker."

Seeing either of them (or even just an Obama one) on a Toyota Prius, borders on redundant.