I listened to this person on a television program explaining that Americans work too hard. We are capitalists only concerned with possessions and making money. She went on to say how the Europeans have it right. They have lots of time off, go on vacations all the time, and generally live a happy life full of recreation. Americans, in contrast, keep their nose to the grindstone. And that, that is what drives all the crime we are seeing in the country. It is affecting our mental health! We all need to party more, work less.
I found myself shaking my head listening to all of that, it just sounded so juvenile. I could hear myself saying that, when I was twelve. But do I have to? That was the most frequent question my parents would hear whenever chores had to be done, homework completed, or my room cleaned. Why should I make the bed, it's just going to get messed up tonight? I really should just do whatever I want, when I feel like it. But, at the same time I knew better than to say, I'm bored! Bored, there is plenty to keep you occupied, let's see. I always found something better to do! Truth was, it was usually something that just wasted time.
This American mindset of hard work and family goes back to the beginning. Just who came to this continent, and why? There were those escaping religious persecution and those escaping financial persecution. In many cases the two being intermingled so closely it is hard to differentiate one from the other. The idea was to build a future for themselves and their progeny. Work for what you have, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and set the example for future generations. In short, you aren't here to simply have a good time. It's all about sacrifice. Your reward comes after. Don't count your chickens before they hatch! That is the mandate I was given. You have to count on yourself before anything else. That is independence. It's what the word independent means!
Being independent is becoming confused with being selfish. Being independent isn't about you! Independence means working together towards a common goal, each doing their part. It isn't taking a vacation. You have to carry your own weight in a truly independent nation. Yes, charity is a hallmark of those that work hard and have strong moral convictions. Ours, the United States, is based on the Christian tradition, which includes charity. But, charity should not be a dependence, rather charity is just what it is, a gift. If you are dependent upon charity, in any of its' many social forms, you are not independent. You can't gain independence through charity! It takes hard work, dedication and a strong degree of ethics.
I make no claim to being a student of history or holding any insights about the nature of humanity. I do enjoy philosophizing about things. In my world we call that, chewing the fat. It's only philosophy when you get paid for it. It's funny though, most of the people with a degree in philosophy have a job other than philosophizing. Quite a few are very successful people, CEO's and Presidents of Universities, even financial managers. Me, I just sit around and think about stuff and write these blogs. I don't receive a cent, so I'm just chewing the fat.
I hear an awful lot of talk these days about me. I should have this or that. I am being treated this way or that. I am the exception. I am owed. It's a lot of talk about perceptions and feelings. I see it as an avoidance. It's a way to avoid facing the reality of the world. That reality is simple enough. You are here, as the result of circumstance. You get out pretty much what you put in. Bad things happen to good people. Some have, some have not. As John Donne wrote, no man is an island, entire of itself. Man needs other men. We are dependent upon one another. With that dependence comes a responsibility. The responsibility to do your part, not for you, but for the common good. The reward comes later. It always comes later.
Do we control the degree of reward? That is a philosophical question to be considered. Heaven and Hell is one way of viewing that, or coming back as an animal or a plant. Past lives, new lives, do-overs? Is all that dependent upon our actions today? We are all a piece of the whole, whatever that whole is. I wonder, will I get the answer? Maybe later I will, it's always later. Good things comes to those who wait. That's what I was told. I recently learned that Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying, "good things come to those who wait, but only those things left behind by those who hustle" Honest Abe had a way of saying things. It's a different view. I always took the adage to mean, don't rush into anything, be patient and good things will happen. I guess Abe figured, somebody has to do it! He's got a good point there.
The final reward is a gift and as such should be unknown to us. That's my thought. A surprise; receiving something we didn't even know we wanted. They are always the best gifts, aren't they? They are to me. It means that someone took the time to know me and the time to care. A thoughtful gift carries the most sentiment. It is better than getting what I asked for. If you don't have expectations, you won't be disappointed.
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