Why?

So, I've been back in this country for 3 months after living abroad for over 3 1/2 years, and I have to say: Americans are the most wasteful people I've ever seen on the face of the planet.

The energy they waste is appalling. Americans are happy to waste gallons of gas going to a job they don't like in a town they despise for a boss they secretly want dead. They waste batteries like they're going out of style, just waste waste waste waste waste.

I never really understood it until I moved away from here and then living frugally for so long it was a stark contrast when I returned here. I was hoping to find a job close by so I could walk to work. Yeah, pull the other one. There are 3 places for employment within 12 miles of where I live. That ain't happening.

Even through this economic crisis people are still wasting so much money on energy it shocks me. The sad thing is, even though Americans in general have the attention spans of single-celled amoeba, they (we) can still learn to be fuel efficient. I was amazed at how easy it was to train myself out of necessity.

Times are coming soon that will make it necessary for the majority of Americans to do the same. I hope we as a people can come to terms with who exactly has made this happen - who has dumbed down our culture and taught us to be so wasteful and put them out of our misery.

But then, once that is done, I hope we can get to a place where we don't waste so damned much stuff.

Wishful thinking, I know, but times are going to get tougher once we get stuck with 'That one' in the White House.