18 December 2007

Right Hand Rings and Neighbors

Have you heard of right hand rings? I've been told that they are diamond rings worn on the right hand, therefore indicating that they have nothing to do with marriage. This is the same as businesses that have made people feel unloved unless they don't receive flowers on Valentine's Day. There's a reason why 22% of women and 2% of men who send flowers on VD send them to themselves. What's wrong with being single? Does not receiving flowers on VD or being given a diamond ring after the age of 20 mean that you're not a valid human being? I absolutely hate how this commercialism seeps into every aspect of life. Now these companies are trying to money off women feeling like they have to prove they're 'Available and Happy'? To me, that's a sign of a woman that has too much material need to be marriage material in the first place. DeBeers wants to sell more diamonds, but want to keep the prices high. In order to do this, they are creating a demand, much like they did back in the 1940s, to keep up with their supply. It's not just DeBeers but every jeweler. There's always a nice cut involved with jewelry, right?

This entry from WiseBread peaks my interest. I haven't been comfortable even trying to get to know my neighbors since I moved out of the dorms in college. Why is it that community bonds through geography have been deteriorating? Strengthening of other community bonds? Religious, cultural, political, and hobby based communities have been thriving. Do people not see the need to strength their neighborhood communities? These are the ones who will really save you from outsiders in the most practical of ways. They're the ones who will call the police if they see someone carrying stuff out of your house when you're not around. They're the ones who you can most quickly get a helping hand from when you're putting up a ceiling fan. They're the ones who will come and check on you because your grass is getting a little long or help you find your dog when he gets out of the backyard. I think we should get to know our neighbors, even if we don't depend on them. It's not like I'm leading the cultural revolution here either, as I can only recognize some of my neighbors and have only spoken to about 2 of them. When I move into a house, I will get to know my neighbors, even if they don't want to know me. I probably won't ask to use their lawn mower, but I will tell them to call on me if they need help in a hurry.

1 comment:

Manda said...

DeBeers has always wanted the demand to be high for diamonds, that's why they started the whole "diamond engagement ring" thing in the first place. Well, my associations with diamonds are probably too bloody to go into here.

I think people move around a lot more now, which may be a reason they're not as close with their neighbors. I just don't like people I don't know, and I don't want to be dependent on some random person my only association with is that we liked the same neighborhood.