The paradox of our times

A well done video that makes you think.

Money

Water, food, and a roof over your head is all anyone really needs….oh yeah, and money. Lets face it you get nowhere fast without money. It used to be people traded shiny rocks so how did we get to money from there…or better yet why? Whether you like it or not everything is tied to money one way or another. Maybe someone was afraid at some point in this mess that if everyone had money then they would all just hang out instead of doing something productive….the reality is people needed a work force to make widgets and if all the workers were rich none of them would want to make widgets anymore. What about the guy that likes making widgets…think he’d stop? And of course people will still be needing their widgets so surely someone would make them.

Ok, I’m rambling but the thought occurred to me today that if we all had the money we wanted and we were all on even ground so to speak the world would become a pretty awesome place. People with money are still productive they just don’t dig holes or make food for a living anymore. What if you had the money you wanted….what would you do?

It’s hard to be creative and focused towards being productive in your own way when you’re working forty or more hours a week, worrying about bills, and trying to survive. Thats the situation that most people are in…not really people anymore…more like cattle… herded from here to there and back again. We live a very finite existence on this planet and much of the time is spent working and sleeping and there is definitely something wrong with that picture….we should be free to pursue our own happiness. I’m starting to take baby steps in that direction and trying to change my life in a way where happiness trumps money ….Still need money but maybe not as much. Have you thought about happiness lately…or just money?

Work

Why is it that the norm today is basically what we called indentured servitude in years past? Think about it…We’re told from childhood to do well in school so we can get better schooling in college and then get good jobs and have more than our parents did. It’s all part of the American dream. Work hard and you’ll get what you deserve…but it doesn’t really work that way does it?

I watched my father go from being a mechanic to become a salesman in a strong niche market and he did his job well…then one day he got sick…life threatening sick. We were always told that the company is there for you and you have a job for life type things but in reality his company was self insured and his illness cost them. Not long after he was let go. The American dream was changing but no one told us.

The thought is that you work hard and the company respects that and rewards you. You get promoted …you get raises…you become a team player. The reality is that you are expendable and you will always be expendable. The company can get someone newer to the field and train them for less money….they can sub out your work…or they can just find someone willing to do it cheaper. If you are good at what you do then you have a reasonable expectation that you’ll be ok but the older you get the more you cost the bottom line and honestly there are many young people out there that can do what you do and they don’t expect as much.

With work also comes fear. We work hard and finally get to that point where we are ahead of the game….we have the new house, car, children, etc. And the company knows this and thats a double edge sword because now we don’t want to lose these things and have to work harder to maintain them. You might start to realize that your position isn’t as stable as you would like….the boss knows this….he depends on this because he needs you to be subservient. Whips are a thing of the past fear of losing those things you hold dear keeps you doing what they want.

Ok, maybe this all sounds a little Orwellian and I’m sure not all companies and bosses feel and think this way but it is the way most people find themselves at some point in their working life. You really are just a cog in the machine and when you break you can and will be replaced without any care as to your wants and needs. Most Americans are in debt and living paycheck to paycheck slugging away at the bills hoping no unexpected emergency comes up. The fear of these things keeps us rooted working too much too hard and hoping for the best hoping the unexpected never happens.

Last year my company informed me it would no longer be paying for any health insurance as it cost to much but they did give me an extra $10 a week to help me adjust. Thats right…ten dollars….forty dollars a month. You can’t get insurance for forty dollars a month…you can’t even get bad insurance for forty dollars a month. So now the $62,500 I earn a year just went down but I should be happy because this helped the companies bottom line. I am a construction Superintendent/Project manager/Carpenter/Laborer I do it all and while $62,500 might sound pretty good there are some draw backs. The first being no truck allowance. When you drive 2-3ooo miles a month it gets to be some serious money for gas and maintenance. Then there is the inevitable taxes which take a huge chunk out each week. I can hear some of you saying well go look elsewhere and get more money and a truck allowance. If you said that then you haven’t been comprehending what I’ve written. This is actually one of the better companies but they are all changing and adopting the attitude that they can get more for less with a younger work force. You can get much more with subbing out to the immigrant crews. As Americans a great deal of our life is spent working and many people don’t have much to show for it at the end of their lives and yet we keep teaching our children that this is the way…this is the American dream….work hard and you’ll be rewarded…How many of you are happy with your work?

Being an American I hear we are the best country all the time but how can that be when other countries treat their work force so much better. They have mandatory vacations of x amount of days yearly ( a friend in England has 52 vacation days a year another has 46 in Italy) Many countries have workable universal health care, and sadly for us most countries work less hours than the average American. Maybe I’ve become jaded or just bought into too much but it’s time to change some things Life shouldn’t be about work and things it should be about being happy and enjoying this wonderful world we live in not just dreaming about it and hoping one day to see it.

On Dragonfly’s and Dragonflies

Yes, The tile of the blog is misspelled. The misspelling pertains to much more than intended. Just thought you might like to know…

On Dragonflies and Dreams

On Dragonflies…

When I was growing up I remember seeing dragonflies all the time during the spring and summer…now that I’m older I can’t recall the last time I saw a dragonfly. Do you remember your first dragonfly sighting? Scared? I remember the first time I saw a dragonfly…at first glance they are quite terrifying for an insect (a rather large insect at that) but after the initial sighting they tend to grow on you. Although they can bite I don’t recall having ever heard of anyone being bitten by one and whenever I’ve seen one they seem content going about their own business. As I said earlier I haven’t seen one in quite some time…since I was a child I think. You see they have all disappeared from my life….I’m sure they still exist somewhere but I guess I stopped looking somewhere along the way. It’s funny the things that disappear from your life when you get older and have responsibilities.

 

On Dreams…

 

I used to have vivid dreams growing up, some were scary and some were exhilarating …and some were very real and woke me in a fit of terror. These days I wake up remembering dreams of work or things unfinished in my life. Losing Dragonflies is bad enough but losing dreams I won’t stand for.

 

I don’t have time for these things anymore because I’m an adult…I have responsibilities…I have to live up to whats expected of me. So what exactly am I working so hard for? Money, career, the nice place to live, the truck, the newest cell phone…..I’ve tried to buy into all the trappings but I still don’t feel right…Where are the Dragonflies & Dreams?

 

They’re still there lurking somewhere in the background. Every now and again I can just catch a glimpse of them and they are calling to me. I’ve tried to ignore them but their faint call echoes in my mind not letting go….not letting me ignore them anymore. They say I work too much…they say I’m stressed out….they say I missed the point of it all.

 

We all work too much. We say we work so we can live and do the things we love but in all reality it becomes a vicious cycle of work and bills and more work….until we’ve forgotten that life is supposed to be lived not worked. Do you need the bigger car? The new house? The Rolex watch? ( not that I’ve ever owned one). What would you give up to be happy? Not rich or powerful….just simply happy. I’ve given this much thought lately and at first my thoughts scared me and made me wonder what other people would say if they knew what I was thinking…..even worse what would those I love think?

 

Soon enough they will find out what I’ve been thinking and I’m sure the reaction will be bad…but isn’t that always the way when a human being does the opposite of what other people think is right. Over the next year I’ll be laying it all out here in words. I’ll let you in on who I am and where I’ve been….even better where I’m going. For now know this, although I haven’t seen a Dragonfly in some time….I’ve started dreaming again!