What does that mean to you?
When I lived in what is known as The Midwest, that was generally people’s way of being. They couldn’t stand anything that might have a social-type bend to it, i.e. national healthcare, support for the unemployed, shelters, etc. People there would actually get angry if I brought up any of these subjects.
And where does anger come from?
Fear.
The days of "the American Dream" have been long gone. The smoke and mirrors that is pretending to keep that alive will soon dissipate. Unfortunately "the American Nightmare" is upon us. The days of what good capitalism might have been, and the days of finding meaningful employment that paid what it's worth, are practically over. If one is not creating their own work, they may be "left behind".
Like so many things, good people in government and good ideas in business went awry with either power-hunger or just simply money-driven, forgetting the long term consequences to ourselves and Mother Earth.
As Dr. David Suzuki says, "I'm not interested in a 40 years plan, I'm interested in a 400 year plan."
[I love that man. Read more about his group is up and see his film. I am highly recommending it.]
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
I will digress for a moment to point something out, everything needs to be updated once in a while, yeah? And look just over a hundred years ago I could understand why call that area the Midwest. However that antiquated expression could be revisited and they could just be knows as the Flatlanders or maybe even the Midnorth.
Of course living for a bit in Flatlander-country, I came to realize why people had limited views. They lived on two dimensions and hence could only be two dimensional thinkers. I'm being only slightly facetious.
I have observed that coastal and mountain dwellers have expansive perceptions. Well at least more so than being landlocked in the prairies. :)
And so...
Hard work for hard pay.
Wow.
Talk about a challenging life, a challenging way of being in the world.
What about spinning that over and saying to oneself, I earn money easily for doing what I’m good at and love to do.
For those of you out there that are not into the whole affirmation thing, nor the create-your-reality thing, let me point this out to you:
if attitude is everything, then what I am saying here has weight.
Ponder that for the week....or month.
That is your homework. :)
Look, I work "hard" too. I just do not see it nor feel it like that.
Know what I mean, jelly bean?
I realize that we are quite blessed here in the West (and even where I am in the middle of the Pacific), to have choices and to have opportunity.
Yes, it’s getting more and more interesting to uncover opportunities. I for one have had many years of struggle to maintain my head above water, only because my ethics and my ideas of what I would do for work are rather, ahem, picky.
Hahaha!
As a graphic designer (amongst so many things I am/do) and somewhat good at marketing, I could have worked for a studio or an advertising firm and made tons o’ money. No thanks to that, because if i do not agree with what they’re “selling” then I cannot work there. Work has to align with my beliefs of what is "good" (or at least not "bad") for humanity, and of course me.
In the end, what do I know.
I'm merely a Canadian from a forever lineage of Greek origin. :)
There’s my ramblings for today.
Mahalo for tuning in.
Until the next transmission,
may you look at your choices and know that you are where you have chosen to be.
And believe me when I say this is even for the times I have suffered, I am firm on this outlook.
I welcome all comments and/or critiques.
Unedited as usual.
Hee, hee!
