The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is somewhat one of the seven deadly sins, Envy! I feel that at my age I sort of have the right to say I have seen this and also know what I am talking about. For all intents and purposes,(and the latest "how long are you going to live survey data" I have lived 2/3's of my life.) But I have seen many a person who lived there life trying to keep up with the "Jones's" only to end up being horribly in debt and not one bit happier than they were before they started playing the keep up with the Jonses game.

What is it about us that makes us strive for more, more, more! I was recently down in southern Ca. visiting family . I visited Anaheim Hills, Chino Hills, Norco, and La Mirada where I grew up.All pretty good size cities. Matter of fact they are HUGE compared to my town of only 2000 (two thousand) people. But what I saw really disturbs me.(This is just one item that I saw that I am writing about on this post right now) It feels like everyone is trying to out do the next guy or at least keep up with him. Just about every car was a gas guzzling SUV. In these SUV's was a single driver. The morning/evening rush hour traffic was just packed with these vehicles. I just wonder why if you are simply just driving to work and not carrying a bunch of passengers and nothing else, why are you driving one of these? The shopping mall parking lots are just side by side this sort of vehicle. I find it hard to believe that each and everyone of those vehicles belong to a family of five that needs that sort of room.I won't even get into the environment. On the other hand I had four sons and I would have loved to have a vehicle such as these in my day. But I would have been using for that very purpose.

Another killer for me is the 4x4's. They are so clean and pristine, you just KNOW they are never going to be used off road. But it seems that if Sam down the street has one then Joe the next door neighbor needs one also.

I actually had a big conversation about this with some folks when I was down there. I could not believe the way they brushed me off, as if I was crazy to not understand the reasoning on why it's important to have one of these vehicles. There was one guy that said if you were to go to a job interview and you were seen getting out of your vehicle in say a Honda or Hyudai etc. that you probably would not be hired! I laughed at this, but these other people chimed in saying shit like this was true!!! That what you drove showed who you are! I thought to myself if I were hiring someone for a job, and both had the same exact credentials and one showed up in a SUV and the other a Honda Accord, I would think the one in the Honda was the more reasonable person.

I don't know, its just I feel if I don't have a gazillion kids to haul around or I am not using my vehicle as a carpool drive, I just don't see the necessity for driving one of these. I had heard on the news when the gas got real high people were not driving these vehicles as much. I do not know because I was not down in the city during all that. However I can tell you now that the drive down there and while I was there and on the way back I saw no indication that these vehicles were not being driven!

I could be entirely wrong in my way of thinking. And that is these vehicles are being driven to keep up with the Jones's, but I have been in vehicles that are just as comfortable, offer many of the same options, don't cost near as much and does not use anywhere near as much gas!

I am also aware they are starting to put some of these out that are less gas guzzling.

Okay I am done ranting!

Whatever you drive "Don't Drink"