Life Between the Lines

"How are you?" Uttered millions of times every day, the phrase surely does come from a place of true concern sometimes, but as the anthropologist concludes, such phrases of polite speech simply serve to convey politeness. Other such verbal social niceties, like "may" instead of "can" or saying "please," might seem outdated and unnecessary, but they serve essential roles in society and communication. Polite speech is like a continuous and formalized version of a hug, helping to convey a relationship of care and high esteem effectively and meaningfully. A school is one of the environments in which polite speech is most often conducted and first introduced. Addressing teachers by their last names, using polite expressions like "please" and "excuse me," and saying "thank you" are simply accepted and universally understood parts of the classroom. These polite niceties are instilled into us at a young age, and we never...

Lining the shelves of your local Walmart and Kroger, there are no more rolls of toilet paper. The COVID-19 pandemic is swinging citizens of the world into full frenzy, to the point that the last toilet paper package in a 50-mile radius was taken by a wild dad stockpiling 10 packages — 120 toilet paper rolls. And while stockpiling of hand sanitizer and marinara sauce makes a little  more sense, why stockpile toilet paper? Are people really so concerned about their bathroom habits that they think they'll need 120 toilet paper rolls? But, alas, there's really not much that anyone can do to stop the national toilet paper hysteria other than assuring acquaintances that foraging for toilet paper will not save their lives, but rather that doing our own jobs to prevent the spread will. Heck, the COVID-19 doesn't even cause diarrhea! Funnily enough, many of the rabid creatures ransacking their local Target are the same people who would have refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine if it ...

In "Marrying Absurd," Joan Didion mentions Las Vegas marriages  —  what she sees as a destruction of a once sacred and respected tradition. Consumerism and the American culture has led to this breakdown of marriage traditions, but are the effects of consumerism really limited to just events that happen rarely in one's lifetime? Not really. Worth over $250 billion, the American fast food industry  —  or the "quick service restaurant industry" as they call themselves  —  continues to dominate the  refined  palates of many Americans. The extreme speed at which products are served and taste created as a result of trans fats, sodium, and sugar create a desirable, almost addictive taste and hunger for more. Despite required health classes, we (including me) continue to indulge in such foods for the convenience and often flavor  —  not my proudest moments. The health issues associated with fast food have long been established and ...