I’m in the process of listening to an audiobook by A.J. Jacobs called “The Year of Living Biblically”. The author is nonreligious but decides to try and follow the Bible as literally as possible. It’s fun (The book not the following). I often hear something, read something and see something that all come together into a thought, which I share or completely forget about before I can share it. In the book the author was talking about when he was living biblically he found his choices were radically reduced. There are prohibitions on the things you can eat (no pork, shrimp, lobster and much more) , the clothes you can wear (no mixed fibers i.e. cotton poly blends) and shaving his beard. He said at first he was stifled but grew to appreciate not having so many options.
I don’t know if you know but I have returned to working in a produce department at a grocery store (I’m not going to mention it by name because we had to sign a paper saying we wouldn’t blog about it. Really!?!) I have worked in produce for a good chunk of my working life and I’ve found that I enjoy it. I was working on the salad wall (and wall it is, 25 feet or so.) People just stand in front of it with their mouth agape. I don’t think they know it. Some look for 10 minutes or more. I guess they are trying to find that perfect salad combination. To their defense we have a bunch of 
options. (Hearts of Romaine, Triple Hearts of Romaine, Premium Romaine, Sweet Butter, Italian (Romaine & Radicchio), American (more Carrots), Veggie Lovers, 5 Lettuce and on and on and on.) We have 40+ types of bagged salad, that doesn’t include loose lettuces and various other packaging. So people get stunned by the sheer selection. It’s too much. I’ve heard it said that Albert Einstein had seven of the same suit made so he wouldn’t have to think about it when getting dressed in the morning. He didn’t want to waste though on stuff he though was stupid. I’ve also heard it why people who have been in prison a long time often want to go right back. Too many kinds of toothpaste.
We even have come to believe we need all these options. A customer asked me if we had any more shredded lettuce. I showed her to the shredded lettuces but we didn’t have the size she desired. We get a truck almost every day but didn’t get it for whatever reason. I believe in customer service. I believe that they are always right but she was incredibly put out. No amount of apology would calm here down. She couldn’t imagine why we didn’t have what she perceived she needed (we had other sizes and lettuce that could be shredded). I immediately thought (but didn’t mention) that thousands and thousand die everyday without food or clean water to drink. I thought about Crispy Creme Doughnuts, Starbucks, Burger King etc. I thought about how Americans have created “too much food” diseases to die fr0m. (Diabetes & Heart Disease) It also made me think…
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for an American to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:24 (Mike Translation)
The point is really this, we, as Americans, have so many choices that we become a slave to the options. I have a hundred and some odd channels and there is nothing on I want to watch. We used to be happy with 3, or even no TV. I have so many options and things to stimulate my mind. I go crazy when I don’t. Try sitting quietly for an hour. I will fall asleep without the constant yammering. I always have to be doing something. I can be unappreciative and unthankful and it gets worse the more I have. So I’ve decided I’m ANTI-Choice and it has nothing to do with abortion (If you want to see what I think about that Click Here: “What It’s Like”)
I haven’t looked over this much so it could be riddled with errors. Maybe it always is. 🙂 I’m my own editor. Love Ya”ll, m
Mike wants to be AUTHENTIC 