So between the thoughts and events of the past few months with the high octane inspiration I just received, of course I won’t be satisfied till I get all blabby. For the folks that follow me just cause of chainmail pics or cute puppy pics, you might want to scroll.
I look around, I listen, and I see a lot of things that make me think. I see folks up in arms over the idea of increasing the minimum wage. I used to feel that way a bit myself. And then I sat down and gave it a think, and I’ll be damned if I’m not ashamed of feeling that way.
Some part of me wanted to feel better about where I was in contrast to the guy who hands me a sack of food when I’m too tired to cook. How screwed up is that? I’m dependent on that guy to eat, but for some reason it’s important that I feel like a bigger person, like my opinion counts more than his does.
You don’t define success by where you are in relations to others- I think too many of us try to do just that. If you feel good about yourself because you think you’re above someone else… well… you’re doing it wrong.
Think about it like Maslow’s Hierarchy… you have basic needs that have to be seen to… that can also translate to basics metrics to be successful as a person.
Maybe you think it’s too idealistic to say everyone deserves a job or healthcare or an education or a home or a family or a career or a community or a place where they can feel safe. Maybe that bothers you because you had to bust your ass to achieve just some of those things, and the idea of just handing them out like a package deal to people bothers you.
Think of it a different way- that everyone deserves a chance. A chance to figure out who they are and what they want, and a chance to get it. Being realistic, we live in a country where some people have a much slimmer chance than others, be it through economics, race, gender… down the line until we get to ability. What bothers me is not just that it’s not fair. It’s the fact that some of those chances are so slim that they might as well not exist.
And why? So someone who perceives themselves as higher on the American Dream food chain can feel secure in their position? That feels really lousy to me, like it feels lousy to say one class, race, gender, or economic strata should have greater access to these things than others.
But hey, these are just my thoughts, for whatever value you find in them. Just like there are a million million paths to enlightenment, I believe there’s a million times as many definitions of success.
What I don’t believe is that any of them that require someone else losing their chances can be fulfilling and true.
Curiouser and Curiouser 