If you ever saw School Daze, you’ll remember when Spike Lee said at the end, “Wake up!”

That movie reflected how college students were disillusioned about a lot of things, and they participated in college life for its own sake and not theirs. This is how I see a lot of people living – for the sake of their causes, for the sake of their jobs, for the sake of money, for the sake of religion, for the sake of their families. But mostly for the sake of what is perceived to be what they should be living for.

In the tourist post, I was basically saying that people who go to places as tourists or go to live in places because they had been tourists never really live in those areas because they are still tourists. They search for all the amenities that are available for tourists – the location near the beach or historic area or entertainment; the view of the mountains or forest; the amenities desired for their new home. And the people that surround them in their new space. They become targets easily because they decide these things.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with continuing to live a certain lifestyle, it’s just that those lifestyles end up infringing on the area (as usual). Yes, a new economy is introduced, but not everyone is able to or chooses to live in the newly inhabited way. I think that too many places are disappearing – especially places where nature was abundant and the inhabitants were not human. I continue to be amazed at people who move to areas that have always been inhabited by wildlife and are annoyed when that wildlife appears in their backyards.

It’s the same with everything that “infringes” on them. One pet peeve I have is that some think it’s a right or expectation that others should understand them or have a grasp of English since Americans come to their country and spend money. It’s funny though that they also expect people who come to America should speak only English because they are in America. But I digress. It’s really about the way that people choose to live or be in an area that is foreign to them that should be talked about. And the way that a lot of “new” areas tend to trend is by going the ex pat way. There are even new stores that open that address their American wants and needs. What is wrong with sticking to what is already available?

I guess it’s hard to define what living really is to an individual. Days filled with golfing and shopping and entertainment … tra la la. While in a nearby area (the one not seen or toured) people are starving or barely eking out an existence because they have to spend their days appeasing those on the tourist side. This sounds too familiar, right?