Thrasher again

It was then I knew I'd had enough,
Burned my credit card for fuel
Headed out to where the pavement turns to sand
With a one-way ticket to the land of truth
And my suitcase in my hand
How I lost my friends I still don't understand.

They had the best selection,
They were poisoned with protection
There was nothing that they needed,
Nothing left to find
They were lost in rock formations
Or became park bench mutations
On the sidewalks and in the stations
They were waiting, waiting.

I know I posted those lyrics a week or so ago...just can't get them out of my head. So many of my "friends" fit this bill...and I fit the singer...I hate to turn my back on people...but sometimes I think I have to for my own protection...

I know so many people who have compromised their lives. They have the big houses, and the stuff...the most expensive coffeemaker ever made, huge everything...cars, refrigerators, even their beds...the best things money can buy...their clothes, their shoes, the clothes their kids wear...why is it all I see is a gilded cage? Why is it all I see are golden handcuffs?

And to protect their stuff, they compromise their ideals and their dreams and their values. The important things, the things I think are important, like family and friendships, are cast aside. But they don't see it this way...all the stuff is part of the "good life" and success. I know I sound like some naive teenager (I've always said there's a part of me that stopped growing at age 17) or like some over-aged hippie, but if a song like Thrasher was written, if there are people who sing along to it...isn't there some validity to the message?

Or do we just reach a point where we give lip service to our old dreams?