Creeping Meatballism

Creeping Meatballism: (sl. adj.) Kreep-eng Meet-ball-izm Loosely defined,  Meatballism is the rejection of individuality. Creeping Meatballism is the adoption of (on a personal level) conformity. Ex: Commercial shows drinkers of Brand X drive nicer cars, look healthier, and generally have better lives than you. You being to drink Brand X, and acting (but not actually attaining) that better life. Deluding yourself to believe you are living the "Brand X Lifestyle."

Reminds me of the City sometimes.

Rather than take stock of ones person, and its supporting and surroundings - its easier to buy into the advertized "good life." The ease and "quality" of Kroger, the high life promised by an Art Museum, the attractiveness of a city with Stadii at the High Schools, the "Repo Sales" which give one the sense of getting one up on the other guy...

That's the insideous touch of Creeping Meatballism, the thought that you too can have a better life if only you had a car that was new. That you have no worries and nothing to fear by taking out a loan against the title of your car. The folks at the Payday Loan place really are only doing it because they want to help you. Just like they come across.

Not quite so, and there are many levels across which that is true. Just because "Brand X" is now suddenly "All natural" or has 23 flavors... that doesn't make it good. And it's not always about the product, as a matter of fact - its usually about life in general. Sure - I could get into specifics about what I feel the standout examples I see around here are, but that would be purely subjective.

But think about it - in everything from the way the news is delivered (both print and tv), the way the City itself works, Meatballism is everywhere.. creeping it's way ever firmer into our lives. If it's allowed.

Individuality is not something to be ashamed of, it's something to be celebrated and revered.

We just lost one such man.. Guilio Corsini - member of the Elks, the Italian American Heritage Club, Knights of Columbus... and yet was never defined by any one of these things - he was more than just a decent man, he was a skilled artisan - an upstanding member of the community, he was something no one else in Roanoke could ever be. He was Guilio Corsini.

Damned few like him around...

Although in a side note - who knew Roanoke had an Italian-American Heritage Club? Thats a positive sign, if I ever heard of one.