The other day I found myself in the chip aisle of the grocery store. I decided I needed to buy a bag of chips. But wait, Velveeta doesn't really eat chips on a regular basis, so what's going on? Why, I was only in this aisle because I was cutting through to the other side of the store to shop for dairy products; the chip aisle was just a handy pass-through. I could have used the cleaning aisle or the pet food aisle or the pharmacy aisle that is also laden with auto parts. (I sometimes confuse my night cream with Synthetic Transmission fluid since I'm at that age where I must endure the extreme heavy stuff). But I chose the chip aisle and found myself feeling the need for Jalapeno flavored Cheetos and Cool Ranch Ruffles.

Then something else caught my eye. It was one of those ubiquitous “chip clips”. You know, one of those plastic clips that keep your bag of chips fresh. It was hanging there, staring at me; it was large and shiny and green and sold for only $4.99. I realized this was what I really needed! I don’t have a large green one at home, and with all the chips that I buy…… wait a minute…..

Okay, I don’t buy that many chips and when I do, it’s usually a single serving bag. This chip clip got me to thinking: how much of what I see is made here in America and how much of it do I really need. I mean REALLY NEED.

This chip clip was made in a factory in China (so it claims on the cardboard that it’s attached to) as is many of the products I see hanging from the shelves of the store: that Hot Wheels brand toy car, that plastic shower back scrubber, those plastic cat food can lids with the word “kitty” embossed on them, that cheese grater, even that bag of strongly scented potpourri with the French sounding name. All of it was made in China and shipped here to hang on our shelves. Each item, of the thousands, millions, of this items were made in a factory in China. There is a LOT of stuff made in China. I wonder, is there a factory in China that makes nothing but Chip Clips? Next door to a factory that makes nothing but shoelaces, next door to a factory that makes plastic dollhouses next to a factory that makes toilet paper holders? And on and on. How many factories pound this crap out!

I didn’t need the chips. And I sure don’t need the chip clip to keep my non-existent bag of chips fresh.

All our lives we’ve been told we NEED THIS THING. Most of the time not only do we not need it, the crap will kill us, or it will kill the person making it or, it’s killing all of us because they are poisoning our water and air.

I want to buy a farm and just grow my own shit and make my own stuff. Someone needs to teach me how to sew and milk a cow. All this shit is killing us, one way or another.