I'm Not a Good American.

I have decided that I wasn't meant to be born in American culture. It's all fast paced, demanding and busy. Much of it doesn't make any sense to me. Here are a few things:

Working:
1) Work really really hard to "get ahead" so one day you won't have to work as hard (when you are dead).
2) Work really really hard so you can make more and more money to buy lots and lots of stuff to fill those extra closets in that bigger new house you bought because your giant SUV made your other house look too small.
3) Work 60 hours a week because if you don't, you must be lazy.

*If you are unsure if you are working hard enough, check and see if you are on your way to having a heart attack by the time your are in your 40's. If not, then you need to kick it up a notch.

Relationships:
1)Try to have as few friendships as possible!! ***This is CRUCIAL!!*** They take valuable time you could use to work to make money and buy stuff for yourself and your estranged children and spouse.
2) It's ok to romance your spouse in your twenties when you are lazy, young and stupid; but you need to grow up and realized that all you need is material things.
3) If your relationships are getting in the way of money, then it's time to call it quits because they may offer support that is detrimental to your stress-induced heart attack.

I think I don't fit into this because I've never cared about money. Since I don't fit into living this way, I've created my own ways to achieve the ideal life:

Working:
1) Don't work to "get ahead". There really is no such thing. Work to make the money you need.
2) Don't have too much money. Seriously, it would be stressful to manage all of that and figure out what to do with it.
3) Work so you can make the money you need, but spend time enjoying things like the sunrise or sunset. Or simply sitting and looking at the ocean. Or reading, or journalling, or creating, or recreating.
4) Take time to travel every once in a while and get to know other people in other cultures.
5) Have a slow start to the morning. Drink some coffee. Eat some breakfast. Watch the sunrise.

Relationships:
1) Spend some quality time with a good friend AT LEAST every other day (preferably over a cup of coffee). And I mean real quality time.
2) Lean on others, and allow them to lean on me.
3) Spend time with people you are close to over making money. Because really, what's they point in making money?

Really, why are we going SO fast? What is the reasoning behind it? I just want to take life slow and enjoy the people and the scenery, and the community. I just want to take it all in, reflect on it, paint it, and feel it.