Old people

 I admit it, I like to leave comments on the New York Times postings on Facebook. The responses are always amusing to me. It's like meeting aliens or something, their opinions so different from my own. Must be city folks. Products of an urban society spoiled by convenience. They certainly do not seem to understand the concept of independent living. Yesterday there was an article about cutting the work week to 32 hours and having three day weekends forever! I made some comment about that, something to the effect of, great, more time to try to figure out what they are. Something like that. A short exchange took place with unknown parties engaging me with the typical name calling and absence of any real facts. Then it was explained to me. Someone explained that I was an "older" person and so I wouldn't know about having a good time and enjoying your life. Us "old" people just want to work all the time and be secure. I explained how that was called, responsibility. That ended the discussion, as they obviously scrambled off to find out what that was. As I said, always amusing to talk to the aliens.

 So I got to thinking about us "old" folks and how we are working all the time. Guess we should thank the Democrats and city folks for changing that. They were the ones organizing the unions, to get better pay, less hours, and safer working conditions. Of course since all of that has happened the cost of living has done nothing but increase. And as a result we need to advocate for better pay, less hours and affordable housing because we can't afford to party more and work less. We really should be more focused on "having a good time and enjoying the fruits of our labors" as one respondent informed me. That's what life is all about after all. That's what I was told anyway. My idea that we should be focused on providing for the next generation, ie: our children and their children, was met with a gasp. That's not right, we should be having a good time now! We earned that! We didn't actually do anything to earn it, it's an entitlement, the purpose of government. 

 The biggest issue with those respondents? They were offended. Offended that they had to go to work at all, offended that they were not the center of the universe. They should be having a good time! Life is having a good time! Just like when they were children and Mommy and Daddy took care of them, tried to make them happy. They shouldn't have to work forty whole hours in a week! OMG, when are they going to party and have a good time? What's the point in working if you can't squander your earnings on entertainment? That's just offensive. Work less and earn more. That's the plan! Eventually we can all just "work" from home and party all we want, having a good time. That's eutopia. Everyone just gets to do what they want, receive a generous salary, get free health care, great housing, and vacations for every occasion. You get your Birthday week off, with pay. All the holidays you get at least two weeks off, having a baby, a year or so ought to be good.

 Of course I remind myself many of those people also believe you can choose your gender. They celebrate that. Having a good time I presume? Well they are, until someone tells them about reality that is, then they are offended. Or someone doesn't use their preferred pronoun. Very offensive. 

 When we work we are doing so for the benefit of others. Yes, we receive compensation for that work, that effort, but ultimately it is to benefit others. Whether that other is your employer, your family or some future generation, that is the purpose of that work. It is your contribution to society. How many hours of work do you trade to go to a concert, watch a movie and have a night on the town? Working to be entertained? And so now we should work less to be entertained more. Thing is, sooner or later, somebody is going to have to go to work! It's like all the "free" stuff, it really isn't free, someone has to work for that. But I'm an "old" person and us "old" people are always going to work. Imagine that, having a work ethic! What's next, morality? Old people sure are strange.