Perspective

There have been a couple things on my mind lately.

First, I'm grateful for my life.  I wake up everyday with a sense of security.  I can leisurely drive myself to work, with a full gas tank, and warm shoes on my feet.  I have the privilege of making a living, and interacting with teenagers at the same time {though there are some days I want to poke my eyes out with a fork}. I go home knowing that I will not go to bed hungry or cold at night.  I feel safe at home, at work, on errands that need to be run, and when I go to sleep.  I thank God everyday for my life, and pray for those who are less fortunate.  There are millions of people who don't have the same luxuries as I do.  There are people who go to bed hungry and cold because they have no home.  There are people who have to look over their shoulder every minute of everyday because they live in an unstable country.  There are people, children even, who are so desperate to leave their war-torn home that they are willing to cross a sea with hundreds of others on a dinky raft. There are people who are missing their loved ones because they were killed a in senseless, inhumane act.  So even on the days when nothing seems to be going right, I am grateful.

Second: I'm grateful for my work ethic.  I grew up in a middle-class family.  I never had things handed to me; I always had to work for the things I wanted.  In fact, my first job was working for my dads janitorial business cleaning a bank.  {I can now clean toilets like nobody's business.}  I never saw a paycheck either; instead, I was given money to go to the movies, or grab a burger with my friends.  When I needed money for cheerleading, I stood in the heat for hours at a time selling ice cream at Hot August Nights, or dipping corn in butter at the Rodeo.  When I was 18 I made my first major purchase: a 2006 Toyota Corolla.  I worked hard for that car, but in order to put gas in the tank, I had to have a job.  I worked at a dental office and a preschool making $9.75 an hour.

Did I feel poor?  Yes.

Did I live paycheck to paycheck?  Most months, yes.

Did I survive because I was taught how to work hard and manage my money?  Absolutely.  

Recently I learned that protests are taking place across many college campuses.  From my understanding, students are demanding free higher education, student loan forgiveness, and at least $15 an hour for those working on a college campus.

Would I have enjoyed free college? Duh.

Do I wish my student loans would suddenly vanish into thin air?  Who wouldn't?! 

Would I have liked a job that paid me $15 dollars an hour verses a measly $9.75?  Absolutely.  

But I'm a realist, and I know that their demands simply aren't realistic.  There is no such thing as free; someone is always forking out the money.  Unfortunately, I am part of a generation where many people feel self-entitled.  We are so used to instant gratification that when something requires hard work or patience, we demand something in return for our "sacrifice."

That is simply unfortunate.  The value of hard work, sacrifice, and patience is immeasurable.  It has given me confidence to tackle things that may feel out of reach or impossible.  It has taught me diligence, dignity, respect, and the importance of goal setting.

So I guess I can care less if my Starbucks cup is red, because I can afford a warm drink.  I don't care that I had to pay for my higher education, because going to an institution where I can gain knowledge and wisdom is a luxury that many people in the World will never know.  I don't care that I have to put in 40+ hours a week at work, because I know that I am making a difference in at least one teenagers life.  I don't care that I make monthly budgets for myself, because I'm grateful to even have money to work with.

Even though times can be tough, and we may never have all that we want, I do my best to be optimistic.  It's all about perspective, and I'm choosing to be grateful for my beautiful life and the things that I do have.