"Part of a System"

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Last night I went to the Coldplay concert (which was awesome!!) and, to quote their song White Shadows, I realized that "We're part of the human race and, All of the stars and the outer space, We're part of the system plan." When I began to think of it, the whole experience of going to a concert resembles a system- everyone has their own jobs and tasks and they are all necessary for the enitre system to run smoothly. Everyone depends on one another- countless industries are supported and upheld by the ones around them. Even before you get into the Wachovia Center, you have to pay attention to the police officers directing traffic. Once in the parking lot, people are there to collect the 10 dollars (!) it costs to park. Both of these are extremely important in simply getting all of the people into the parking lot and had any one person not done their job, the system would likely break or at least crack. Once in the Wachovia Center, there are countless industries that support the entire workings of the system. Of course you have the food and drink industry. There's also the different kiosks selling shirts and other Coldplay memorabilia. Even after we removed ourselves from the outside area with all the food and drinks, and went to our seats, there were still people walking up and down the aisles selling popcorn, cotton candy, drinks, and binoculars. You could see the advertising industry all around with various company's ads, slogans, and logos. Then of course, theres the entire sound and equipment industry that is a definate necessity for any concert. It's amazing to think just how many industries exist, and we often think of them existing independently but they all depend on the successes and failures of the other ones. Our industry is so interdependent and all the parts of the system function together. I often don't think of myself as being part of the system but last night I realized that none of those industries would have flourished if people like myself had not gone and been drawn in by the consumerism.

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