???"So who are the Jonas Brothers, anyway?"
???Judging by the irate look on the teenage girls' faces, I knew immediately that by asking the question I had made a terrible mistake. I ignored their scowls and returned to my job of drying off cars.
???But as I continued about my workday, listening to them squeal in excitement about getting tickets to the concert that weekend, I continued to wonder about these mysterious teenage heartthrobs.
???Who are the Jonas Brothers? Where did they come from? Why is Lindsay Lohan into girls now? When did George Carlin die? What the heck is Twilight?
???These were just a few of the many questions I found myself asking after returning to civilization this summer.
???I had been backpacking out west in the Rocky Mountains, and after just a month of isolation from the rest of the world, I found myself lost and confused as I attempted to hop back on the bullet-train-bandwagon that is today's American culture.
???From what I gathered, Hillary Clinton was finally out of the picture, some chick named Katy kissed a girl (and evidently liked it), and teenage girls everywhere were obsessed with a book about vampires and a trio of Disney-spun pop stars.
???While I was still adapting to simple luxuries such as cell phones, refrigerators, flushing toilets, and biting the ends off of Twizzlers and using them as straws, the rest of the country went about their normal everyday lives enthralled with the latest Facebook relationships and YouTube phenomena.
???As I continued to immerse myself into a society moving at a break-neck pace, I couldn't help but feel a little exploited. Our culture is better than this.
???Why have we settled for such cheap entertainment? Why do we rely on the Internet to convey our interests and emotions? How do we move so fast that we miss what we have right under our noses?
???Under the superficial, commercial crust of the American entertainment industry lies something remarkable. Homespun masterpieces, fueled by every subculture imaginable, provide some of the most innovative artistry this country can behold.
???Rich, wholesome creativity is well within reach - as it should be - but not always displayed on a pedestal for the world to bid on.
???The key is to explore. Get out there and find something truly unique. Don't settle merely for what MTV and Rolling Stone are selling.
???Some of the greatest concerts I've ever seen were shared with only a handful of people. Whether they were in a damp basement on Custer Street, or on top of a mesa in the middle of a desert in New Mexico. These proved to be more memorable than many of the big-budget shows I've been to.
???By all means, indulge in mainstream pop culture. It is something that separates us from the rest of the world, and it has produced some of the best music and film of all time; but take it all with a grain of salt.
???As boy bands and one-hit wonders come and go, enjoy them while you can, but don't forget to dig deeper and delve into what you've got around you. Instead of sifting through Facebook bumper stickers for hours, slow down and enjoy what you have in your own hometown. Explore local shops, listen to local artists, try local restaurants, and when you've done all that, expand into new frontiers.
???It seems I've missed the train this time around, but I don't mind. I'd rather walk.
