A dictionary short definition of
packaging is material(s) used to wrap or protect goods, while it can also mean
presentation of a person or things in an advantageous way. There are a few more
meanings direct and some indirect but I am sure you already gasped its meaning,
thus I will leave it at that. To me packaging is a blessing in disguise to be
sure, but it is not all glory and one should view at it somewhat like Sherlock
Holmes with a rather large magnifying glass accompanied with sensible thoughts.
All of life’s packaging needs to be viewed with some degree of caution and not
be taken in by their presentation or cloaks. That reminded me of an instance
many moons ago in Bussan town, where two young shapely sexy girls clasped in
their flashy flimsy bikinis dancing away merrily to the pop songs of the day,
blaring from speakers in their cubicles beckoning drivers to utilize their
supermarket car-park in the middle of full winter. This exercise goes to show
what this world is coming into to ensure more catchment to their market. I’m
sure the young beauties felt the freezing cold winds as I did in my thick
overcoat and woollies, no doubt. However, their smiles never left their faces
even though they may have felt otherwise. I also have heard of professional
weepers in the deserts of Rajasthan, India, where their services can be got for
a fee to weep and cry for the dearly departed while laying their history
between sobs setting the mood of the occasion. Strange! These types of plastic
imitations are too various to mention so shall we mum it as that?
I suppose these packaging in our
everyday lives are slowly unknowingly swallowing and becoming part of us
without a flicker of a thought. Should we step on the brakes for a moment and
contemplate, one should dissect this and consider whether this ‘packaging’ are
really a good thing or not so for us, finding our bearing as it were. While
appreciating ‘packaging’ will always be part of our existence in one form or
another, we should identify what should or should not be packaged and I am a
strong advocate of this. I ask myself where would truth be, should we sugar
coat it all or wrap it in beautiful coloured papers. A few important agendas in
life needs to be the truth, nothing but the truth and not be packaged
attractively, pure and simple to enable us gauge its impact upon us which would
be for long term while changing or amending it might well be, but it does
disrupt you, not even considering the finances and in some cases, one self
esteem poses to be on the line. I personally find the wrappings are more
rampant and rising in developed lands of Americas, Europe, The East and where
not. Yes/No? Agree?
I regret to see more of our
mankind are packaging most things with an alarming frequency and becoming more
selfish in the process, must be the changing values of our times. I suppose
this is the price we pay to be successful. However, the core essential must
prevail in the long run to identify reality and the naked truth. This reminded
of my wife for more than forty years comment saying
“ never judge a book by its cover ”. While we tend to upkeep our best
form at the forefront, the wrappings must be unveiled and torn open in the end
to reveal its true inner-self. There is an old joke going around where the
girls of today will woo in their and hunt with packaging of some sort to secure
their illusive five ‘C’, namely cash, credit card, condominium, career and car
from the drooling unsuspecting guys. Should their aims be unfulfilled, short
changed or falling short - bye bye & good riddance! While not all girls are like that, there
is some truth in the joke. All that glitters are not gold cuts both ways.
However, it seems to be more of a regularity than the exception from the days
of yonder up till this very moment to be sure, quod erat demonstrandum (Q.E.D.)
While we cannot escape these
‘packaging’ in what ever we do or where ever we go forth, the person themselves
has the responsibility to identify this and discard what is irrelevant.
Difficult I do agree, but regretfully the only way, sorry….. Saying is easy
while in practice is a different cattle of fish. With so much artificial
facades, padded bras, false eyelashes, corsets, added flavorings and genetic
modified (GM) foods, not to mention plastic smiles, false comradeships,
relationships, love, marriage and what not, there comes a time where we alone
can only take stock of things and get the reins back on.
We at times enjoy the packaging
of life to soothe us when we are down which sadly is becoming more of an
everyday event that I regretfully have to admit. Some juveniles and a few grown
ups even venture out further to drugs and stimulus’s to get that kick of a high
and lost touch with reality. A sincere shame don’t you think? We get so used to this presentation of
an advantageous ways that we tend to loose track of the reality of life. In
this regard I feel animals are more realistic and true to nature than us humans
by a wide margin. They are honest to themselves and do not hold packaging to
high esteem as we do.
Thus, we need not to loose touch
with reality and seek out the truth in a manner that meant the most to us, and
not put the blame on to others. Some turn to religion and meditation while
others leave it to life’s luck. Whatever, the point I’m soliciting is that, we
will have to unwrap the outer layer at one stage or the other to seek the inner
truth. Face we must and tackle the resultant head on, good or bad. We should be
able to differentiate what truth we require and what others we able coexist
with artificially. This is the fact of life and the balance is solely in the
hands of each individual.
In conclusion as we shall have to
face reality in our life, as such may I suggest that you undo or unwrap what is
important or valuable to one self and recognize it for what it is and accept or
discard according to your discretion. No two ways about it.
Good luck!
