Please, Please Remain Silent
Some days I wonder just exactly when we, as a society, became so unable to look at situations through anyone’s eyes but our own. Humanity, whether we like it or not, binds us all, if for no other reason than we have opposable thumbs and should know better than to pitch a fit when our position is obviously so much better than those around us. Hey, it is one thing to stand up for your rights but it is another thing entirely to act like a toddler denied a second cupcake when those around you never got a first serving. I have noticed that this seems to be the trend in society. Entitlement is such a nasty word, yet more and more I see people who feel entitled to money, fame, employment or perhaps just that last cupcake. I am all for earning what you want in life. And there is nothing like reaping the reward from hard work.
My parents taught me that things given are simply gifts and, while they may be nice, they are few and far between in the real world. I learned to work for what I wanted and I appreciated the fruits of my own labor so much more because I knew the effort that went into paying rent or buying that bracelet. With that said, I did have the cushion of family that was my safety net, but they expected me to contribute to supporting my own wants and needs, with work being an expectation. And being able to do those things for myself gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride. But the flip side of earning your way is knowing what it is like to want for something. To not have enough money to do everything you want and to, sometimes, have to make hard choices. Rent or concert tickets? Rent. Electricity or steak? You eat left over pasta but the lights are still working. Learning to get by isn’t glamorous but it is necessary. Maybe some people are lucky and everyday is a steak day but that isn’t how life is for most of us.
I have also found that often times it is in the struggle that we learn to be gracious and thankful. Anyone who has ever raised a teenage son knows that they must often be reminded to leave a little dinner on the table for others who have not, yet, dined. They have to learn that sometimes you have to leave the table a little less full so that others may also eat.
Jefferson County is in a money crunch. This is a two day old pasta kind of situation and nobody likes it. We all want steak but we don’t want to pay for it. The budget committee started making cuts last week and only three of sixteen non profits survived with any funding, the Boys and Girls Club, the Humane Society and the Jefferson County Chamber/EDOC, with the Chamber/EDOC funding coming only from hotel/motel tax. Committee Chairman Scarlett likened it to eating what they kill and that is not far off. The Chamber/EDOC have their destiny in their own hands. Much like every business owner who wakes up every morning of their life unemployed and has to reinvent themselves everyday. Perhaps that is not the most comfortable position for the Chamber/EDOC but it is significantly better than the other 13 non profits found themselves. Their response was a little off putting to those that sat in the cheap seats, hat in hand, only to come up empty.
Most people, who have found themselves raiding the change jar to buy groceries or checking in the car seats to get a couple of gallons of gas, are sensitive to other’s plights and are grateful for any good fortune that they might enjoy. When I say most, I am obviously not speaking of the ESPN reporter that dressed down a towing company employee and was caught on video tape. That reporter was snide and rude, making personal remarks about the employee’s weight, education and economic status. Spliced video or not, a brat is a brat, at any age. Life has a way of teaching us the lessons that we need to learn. I suspect that ESPN reporter has just received a greater education that she ever did in college.
Be grateful. Be aware of the situation of those around you and if all else fails, just be silent. After all, the adage is true that it is better to remain quiet and be suspected a fool than to speak (at length) and remove all doubt. Especially in a public meeting or on video tape.
