Proliferation abounds . . . .We are getting proliferated toward the point of no return in this country.

When one examines the amount of paperwork involved in transacting a bank loan for instance, one no longer asks how interest rates can be so high.

He is left to wonder how they can be so equitable.

Banks are not the only institutions structured in this way by the federal government.

Other governments at all levels n town, city, county and state – like the banks are required to produce mountains of detailed reports, in triplicate or

more on all transactions authorized by the U.S. Congress.

Private businesses, conglomerates and industry as a whole are subjected to the same regulatory processes as the political entities.

To add to the confusion, you can stir in a generous helping of retail tax reports that must be made on sales of everything from a gallon of gas to a stick of chewing gum.

Once one of these dreaded encumbrances is levied, you can almost bet your sweet bippie it's there to stay, and likely to increase over time.

It's as if there's no end in sight.

Life is kind of like a golf ball in that respect. When we were young'uns, we'd get an old nicked golf ball, whip out the Barlow and strip off the tough dimpled outer skin of the ball and start the unstringing process.

Seems like the tightly wound elastic inside the ball would probably reach from the Courthouse to Pigeon Creek.

Anyhow, the point is that life seems to be getting more and more complicated as time trudges along and everybody is being dragged along with its undertow.

Despite all this, and even though a dollar today is about equal in value to a nickel in the depressing '30s, all is not lost.

There is light at both ends of the tunnel. We just have to know which end we should be heading for.

Because the day is coming, hopefully, when all the proliferations will quit giving birth to little proliferations.

Buster MacGuire is copy editor and columnist for the Greenville Advocate.

He may be reached by calling 334.382.3111.