The last, and most difficult, materialism shackle for me to break myself from is the automobile. I am working VERY hard on it. What a challenge! As I was driving into work today, it occurred to me that driving the streets of America is really the way many of us socialize. It's like being at a cocktail party everyday. Only, we don't need to talk to each other. Our cars give others clues about who we are. Whether or not we are clean. How much money we have. Are we outdoorsy? Are we fast movers or do we take our time? Are we up on the latest fashions or don't we care? This whole thing occurred to me as utterly ridiculous. Really, there should be three or four distinct vehicles; one for commuting, one for families, two types for work. The fact that there are as many car models as there are personality types truly shows how intertwined our culture (and our self-image) is with our automobiles. Visualize what a year would be like if everyone's car just went away. How would we interact with one another? How would we get around? How would we demonstrate to others our status and image?
What does this have to do with happiness? Well, my friend, a lot! Happiness research from Harvard University shows that commuting makes us less happy than anything else. Our daily "cocktail party", on which we pay exhorbitant amounts of money (car payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance), is the least happy part of our daily existance. Why do we do it to ourselves? Inquiring minds want to know...
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