I sit here on day 6 of another 11 day stint of working two jobs. I am not nearly as exhausted as I was a few days ago. I have an overnightish shift at one job tomorrow and another huge set of deadlines at my real job but I feel at peace. However I keep hearing these stories and reading these stories that made me wonder something....when did people suddenly think everything needs to be handed to them.
I don't understand this attitude of things are going the way I want so people give me stuff. Take the home market. When you buy a home you expect the value to go up. Just like when you buy a stock. Well guess what....that doesn't always happen. Yeah it sucks but that is life. It really sucks if it drops below the price you paid for it but that is life. I am sorry for it happening to people but why is it that suddenly it is the banks fault that you SIGNED an agreement that favored the bank.
Now let me say I am in now way saying the banks shouldn't work with these people and I am truly sorry to hear that people are losing their houses. I truly am. I was semi homeless for a period of time and I don't want ANYONE to be homeless but you made an investment. You wouldn't be all up in arms if the value of the home went up. You expect that. That's only fair.
Well guess what boys and girls, life ain't fair! It isn't. Things don't always go the way you want. If they did I would have been teaching somewhere in Michigan now for about 10 years. Or I would still be in Maine or Mass (god help me) with the one woman I've ever loved. Or at the very least I would be able to call my dad up when I had a bad day or needed advice or just wanted to talk but guess what I can't. NOT FUCKING FAIR right? Well tough shit to me. I don't have my teaching degree. I dont' have my love and I sure as fuck can't call my dad. Poor pitiful me.
Why do I work two jobs and do 17 hour days? Because I ran up a bunch of debt. I lived on credit cards. I ran up student loans while trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Who did that? Did the government? Did the schools force me to sign those loan documents? Nope I knew what i was doing and now I pay for it.
I've used the quote before and I will again because I love it:
Jim Ross: Don't you think, that it's about time in your life, where you look squarely in the mirror, and accepted the personal responsibility for who you are? Don't you believe that you, yourself, have caused and brought on all these problems?
That is from a pro wrestling interview between Jim Ross and Mick "Mankind" Foley. That is what I did. I looked in the mirror and my problems are my problems. I don't go to grandma and grandpa, or mom and dad, or the government for money. I stand up, I realize that I caused this and I did this and no one is going to help me but me.
Would I love for someone to come say "You work hard, you had mental problems when you ran a lot of this debt up, let me pay it off". I would feel guilty as hell about it but it would make my life easier. I could work 40 hours a week and maybe enjoy life. But I don't see that happening.
This country, its people, need to realize that we need to help ourselves. People need to look in the mirror and say its my fault. Step one in fixing a problem is admitting you have one or some crap like that (my drinking isn't THAT big a problem yet so I haven't gone to AA yet).
Now I've got a lot of help from my family, especially the most influential people in my life my grandparents, but I rarely have asked for help. I didn't when I was depressed. I didn't when I suicidal. They offered to help me because I needed it and they love me. I love them more then I can every say to them for what they've done and I can never repay them. However never once did I think they need to because I need it. Never once have I expected someone to help me.
I just don't understand this attitude that people have. Help me. Help me. Give me. Give me. It's YOUR fault. It's THEIR fault. It is everyone's fault but mine. Take responsibility people.
So tell me, where does this come from? I can tell you my thought. Everybody gets a trophy. When I was in school not everyone got a trophy. The team that was last didn't get a trophy for trying? Do you know why? THEY LOST! They sucked! You don't get rewarded for failure....well you didn't. Now everyone gets an award. You only got 1 out of 100 questions right but here is a award because you tried your best. You didn't pass any of your courses but they will fix that next year in 10th grade. You guys didn't win a game but here is your trophy.
FUCK THAT! You didn't pass your classes well guess what sunshine you are going to be in 9th grade till you do! You didn't win any games? Really? WELL YOU SUCK YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING! Okay you don't say that last one but they know it. They either try harder or quit. That is what I did. I sucked at baseball and by the time middle school came around I quit but I wasn't getting better and I didn't give a damn about baseball. I didn't expect an award because I didn't deserve one. Now people would give me one and it has caused a generation of whiny bitches.
So to all you people who expect a bail out you can get one. Go out and get a job...and don't give me this crap that there aren't jobs. There are just not ones people want. Almost every gas station I go into has help wanted signs up. The whining people just don't want to do those jobs.
In closing I offer this advice from M*A*S*H "Pull down your pants and slide on the ice".
Wait maybe a Doctor Who quote: But it's not fair! (as he is about to kill himself saving Wilfred)
Ancestor by Scott Sigler