Coveting

OK, so my last entry was about my pacifist leanings. Those are pretty crazy if you consider some of the things I am involved with, and I do struggle with that, especially recently. Today I am struck by coveting. The commandments speak of not coveting things, especially the whole neighbor's wife issue. That is pretty straight forward. But what about the ass, the servants, the things that do work? Don't I covet those things that help me with my work?
There's the computer program that does really cool things with exegesis (which I am avoiding doing now by typing this blog). There is the neighbor's stove which is a whole lot nicer than the smelly one I have. There is the clothing, the car, the glasses, even the pens and pencils that others have. I want them!
So how to I come about to recognize what I truly need, if it is not for the exposure to what my neighbor has got? Am I left totally to my own ingenuitiy for discovering if I need a gadget to do something, or that my stove needs replacing (good luck convincing the landlord of that)?
I contrast this thought with my increasing feeling of animosity towards the advertizing industry. As far as I am concerned, it should only be public TV: no comercials, no special episodes involving playmates and underwater challenges, no news programs that reduce an article to 25 seconds and a sound bite. The TV is all about making money for advertisers, and that just makes me want to send mine out the window. All they want me to do is watch and see those commercials, so I can start coveting something else.
And yet, I feel programed to watch. I have had a TV as long as I have been alive. The anesthetizing influence of the tube is anchored in the subconscious of my rapidly weakening mind (you try taking all these classes and staying sane). The only relief is the glow of the TV, that warm happiness of my life.
If you do not want this result for your children, make the break. Don't addict your children to the covet box. You are only setting them up to write terrible blog entries where they bemoan their addiction to breaking a commandment. Peace all, and happy viewing.