Many years ago, man was told the land was theirs to do with as they wished. Informed they may live on this land, survive of this land, raise a family on this land. Man soon began to realize that this wasn’t the case. They began to realize in order to “own” this land, one must pay “taxes” to THE MAN, have the right “deeds”, grow the “crops” THEY say to grow, and have the livestock which are to feed others. By doing so the land was no longer owned by the individual, but owned by the government. As the “money” began to come in, more taxes were to be paid, more papers to be filed out. The land was fully taken from the family which lived there and told was theirs.

    The family was then told if they put the money earned in banks, it will be safe. The money became more and more.  The family chose to start buying modern conveniences; clothes, nice dishes, ect. The once farm family started to buy into the “new and improved” ways. Slowly they began to spend less time on the farm teaching the next generation what it meant to live the simple life off the land. The parents then decided to start having their children go to school in town.

    Each day the children would come home and tell their parents of the new inventions that have been created to make their life “easier”. The parents couldn’t believe what they had been told. After some time, the family went into town to buy these new items. The parents amazed at what they found. They found doctors to “cure” them (at a cost), machines to help plow and harvest the land (at a cost), even a four wheeled motorized vehicle to get them back and forth to town to “buy” more of the things (again, at a cost).

    The family thought this would definitely make things SO much more convenient. They could load more to take to town and sell and bring home more items to fill the house. As the years past, the house filled up, no longer having room to store anymore. The parents decided since the children were getting older, they needed more room, room to put things of their own and still have room for the things the family would “use”.  So the parents chose to go back to the bank to see about getting a bigger house. The man there told them they did not have the money to buy one, but they could get a loan to help purchase it with payments made to the bank.

    They left the bank with paperwork signed acknowledging the payments needed every month on a certain day. They rushed home to tell their children the good news. Later that evening over dinner, the parents chose to share this information. The children were excited with the news they had been told. The parents then began to explain that they would have to leave the farm and would be living closer to the schools the children go to and would be spending less time at the farm.

    This pleased the children very much, no longer waking up to feed the livestock, no longer being pushed to do chores they did not enjoy. Eventually the family no longer went to the farm. The livestock began to be sold off, then the house, and last the land, as the family was enjoying their city lives. As the years passed the children became adults, moved out, and had children of their own. Each having their own house, own taxes, and own conveniences. Never looking back at the simple life they once led. The more the “new technology & devices” were announced, the more they wanted to buy.

  
   With these new gadgets came crime, debt, and more rules, though this once simple family did not care. Everything had to be “bigger and better” than what their neighbors had. The parents now growing old, saw their children and grandchildren less and less. They would receive calls stating “I’m too busy with this or that”.  Always busy out “buying up” modern devices and teaching their kids less and less. 

    One day the children both received a call. The voice on the other end stated that their parents had passed away and had no funds left to pay for the bills left behind and for their burial. The children were shocked to find this information out. For they had been handing out money to all the companies involved to gain the objects that filled their homes and no money to give to bury their own parents.  The youngest child then chose to take out a loan of her own, to help with the expenses. She agreed upon the payments and put her house up as collateral, not fully understanding what she had done.

    The family gathered for the services and then continued on as they were before. As the grandchildren grew older they too moved away. One chose to go to college, the others chose to move to other towns for the high paying jobs. As the now parents slowly watched as their children became more dependent of consumption and obeying “the man”, they wondered how things got this far. They watched as life became no longer simple, but all about consume, obey, and control.

    They watched as debt became more and more, neighbors no longer able to keep up with their homes and had to sell. Food became less tasty and more expensive. The “laws” had become more and more. Privacy became less and less. The once children watched as their grandchildren no longer knew how to do the simplest task without pushing a button or paying someone else to do it for them. They watched as the grandchildren were more focused on themselves and less on others and the land.

   One by one the entire family was in debt to “the man”. Debt caused by schools, vehicles, doctors appointments, etc. Shortly after they began to die off one by one. The once grandchildren left to pay off ALL expenses and to clean up everything left behind. With no money or desire to take care of what was needing to be done. The last grandchild left had become sick. He began to go to the doctor twice a week. Doing tests and getting shots. None of which helped at all. He began to feel like he had less and less desire to do ANYTHING.

   As the once grandchild lay on his dying bed, he looked back at the history of his family. He then sat in wonder why all those years ago, the family ever left the farm. He wished his father would have stood and said “No” instead of giving in to the new world wonders.  He imagined a life on the farm. No taxes, no debt, no chemicals in the form of medicine, and living off the land eating fresh food with no outside help. He closed his eyes and kept dreaming of this life. With his last breathe he had one thought…. “WHY DID I NOT STAND AND SAY NO? WHY DID I GIVE IN AND CHOOSE TO OBEY AND CONSUME”.