We all know and say that our culture is one of greed, and we all know and say that we have been made somewhat greedy people about it. We also do not really do anything about it, but that is also not my point. My point is how this greedy culture affects us and the unexpected places it shows up.
It seems that for most of us, we always want more. It is not just more stuff, or more money. (That would be far to obvious an observation). We want better jobs, we want to make all the auditions, more relationships, and really we just want more and more "success". This success, however, is a very worldly and superficial success.
Now I can go a step further with this and say that when we lose, sacrifice, or miss something we once had, we continue to miss it and feel empty in that area until it is replaced with something better. This does not just have to be the job you had, or a relationship but simply the way you used to live, the groups you used to be involved in. For me, I do not stop missing the marching tigers and being a part of that band because I frankly have not found a better replacement. I am in a marching band, it is not that much worse than the marching tigers but it is not an experience worthy of replacing that one. As for relationships, I will not stop missing my best friend unless I were to find a better relationship, and that one is not possible.
That could be the reason people are so much more missed than anything else, is because they are so unique that finding a better replacement is nearly impossible. This idea might be why girls in high school go from guy to guy to guy, they cannot leave that place in their life empty and they are always looking for the next best thing. Leaving that unique human spot in one's life is harder than groups, places, or things.
I have heard that one should not complain about a problem without also suggesting a solution, and while I am not complaining this post seems half-done without a proposal of some sort. Now, I am not saying that all of this is because of a greedy culture, as humans we crave relationships, and involvement etc. And we become attached to things, but it is the need to solve problems by replacing the old with "better" things. Perhaps the way things need to be looked at is, it is time for something completely different. That part of your life has come and gone, and now it is time for something different. You do not have to one-up your past. Life is not one uphill climb on some graph of all areas of your life. For instance, I had a great marching band in high school, and now it is time to be in a more laid back group so I can focus on other things. I will still miss the marching tigers, but I will no longer have this need to replace them. As for relationships, If someone was that good of a friend to you, it is an insult to try and replace them with something better, that does not mean you cannot make new really great friends, even new best friends, but thinking about it as a replacement is wrong. People who jump from relationship to relationship just thinking that they cannot be single for more than a week and must move on to the next best thing are just wasting their time. All of these things are nice to have, friends, groups, jobs, etc. but if a hole cannot be filled, with Jesus in your life there is never an empty part of your life. Even if it seems that way, it should not matter to the point where you are doing anything you can just to have a significant other, job, etc. But allowing it to come when God decides that it is the proper time.
So to sum up, there is sort of a first aid kit to avoid a lifestyle afflicted by greedy culture: God to keep the lifestyle "immune system strong", Faith in God and his timing and patience to sterilize and keep away the "need to replace" germs away.
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