entertained?

  Entertaining yourself, it is something I believe is becoming a lost skill. There are far too many outside influences today that have led us all down this path. The reality is this path is one of isolation. Without those outside influences many are lost. We may call it by other names, we have created a whole industry to support that, and yet many remain unaware. The issue is entertaining themselves, they don't know how to keep themselves company. 

 Right now I'm hearing an advertisement on television, sponsored by Walgreens, proclaiming this is our shot! They are ready to give you the vaccine, free of charge, so that you can have a shot! A shot at going back to a normal life, back to the way it used to be, this is your shot! And the message is clear, you can't do that on your own, you need to be indoctrinated, err, vaccinated before you will be allowed to join in society. You need to be a part of all that, after all, you can't do this on your own. You need to be entertained by others. 

 What is an entertainment? What is its' purpose? To distract, is the short answer. When we are entertained our mind is off our obligations, off our responsibilities, and we can escape all that. When we haven't learned to entertain ourselves we become dependent on others, that is obvious. But today we have medication for that don't we? Yes, it is advertised on television almost incessantly. Bi-polar depression, sadness, feeling alone, thoughts of suicide, hopelessness, all of that can be medicated away. In fact, taking the right medication, can improve your quality of life. Yes, you will be entertained whether you know it or not. Such an advance in science. It's amazing that man has survived as long as we have given the circumstances, given the lack of entertainment. 

 Children have the natural ability to entertain themselves. They are not concerned with what others think of their entertainment. They may sing, dance, crawl in the dirt, imagine great adventures, tell stories or just stare at the sky, all uninhibited, unencumbered by the outside world. They are entertained. Then the outside forces begin to exert their influences. You no longer sing well enough, dance well enough, you aren't as smart as others, and it goes on. Then, for some, entertainment becomes a competition.  In order to validate their entertainment they become dependent. It may begin as taking a lesson, nothing wrong with that, until it becomes an obsession and not an entertainment. When the objective becomes showing your proficiency to others rather than entertaining yourself, it becomes a problem. When pleasing others, or being accepted by others, is the goal you will fail. You must first learn to entertain yourself, as you did as a child, unapologetically. 

 Still the goal of a child is to what? Become responsible adults. That's what I was taught. The objective  was to contribute to society. I was born in America and as such I am an American. Those are the values and lessons I was taught. Hard work, dedication, and obeying the rule of law was paramount in all of that. Entertainment was a distraction, a method to relax, take a break, not a lifestyle choice! I am responsible for my choices, for my actions. 

 Independence is the watchword of freedom. You can't have one without the other. A childs' entertainment is that freedom. When they are playing, entertaining themselves, they are enjoying independence, a freedom. They are not dependent upon anyone at that time. That's freedom. Far too many today just don't understand that at all. That's why they place so much importance on entertainers. They are dependent upon others for entertainment, for freedom. Having surrendered their freedom in exchange for a temporary escape, those folks become angry, bitter, and resentful. They don't know what to do.