I consider myself very lucky. For starters, I was born in a developed country with access to water, food and a free education. I was also born healthy and was blessed with a good head on my shoulders. Granted, sometimes my head was too far up my ass to realize that I was about to do something stupid but this is where learning from my mistakes came in.
In fact, so far, this is the first and only time, I have actually won the lottery. I could have been born in a third world country, with very limited access to food and water, where not having a job when you are 6 years old is considered unacceptable and where things such as welfare are not only unheard of but unbelievable. I grew up in Canada, one of the most developed countries in the world, with a virtually unlimited access to things I will never need and where having a job is not required to survive regardless of your age.
Welcome to the land of the Freedom of Choice. The land where we have the freedom to truly do whatever we want, within the extent of the law of course (although some definitely push that boundary). The land where we have the power to make whatever we want of ourselves. Where what we do will determine what we achieve. Where we have the right to know although it is a right with limitations and just as well the right to raise, or lower, our voice. We have too many rights to name yet not enough to have. Since a lot of us are forgetful and might not remember what we have.
This, is a reminder.
2 comments:
good reminder, but I still think Canada is a big fat lie. We live in an illusion of socialism especially for free medicare. But other than that, its total capitalism. I'm grateful to have access to food, water, cheap education, security...But, when your taxes are being raised, metro pass almost $10 in the last 5 -7 yrs, property tax, food, utilities like 8$ in the last four yrs, electricity, etc...These things add up right, 10$ here, and there, and your SALARY is NOT being increase..I think this is slavery man... You cannot even save money. All your money goes to taxes. In the US, maybe its less social, but u can save money, you have more money in your pocket... Im not pro states but you don't have to go to Harvard to get good education. And it's not like you're going to be sick each month. I just feel that here its paycheck to paycheck, and you have a rusty knife in your throat and you do your best not to stick it out...
Interesting comment. I do think that we always have a choice though. We have a choice to save money and not get cable, not eat at fast food or regular restaurants, not to buy a car we can barely afford (and measuring to the penny how much money you will have left if you take it)not to buy a 6 pack of beer every day or every second one.
I also know that financially, Canada is a lot more stable than the United States mainly because of how banks are managed. In the states all you need is an incorporated company and a little bit of funds to open one up, here you have to go through endless government compliance regulations. In fact a close study of the oldest Canadian banks (RBC, Scotia, etc...) shows they have been paying dividends for the last century and a half, even during the great depression.
I think the heart of the issue is that we are taught to consume. Whether it's products, time or bullshit. I fell into that culture as I grew up here, but when I see my father being able to live on 40$ a week and I have a hard time living on 200$, I realize there might be a bit of an educational gap between us.
The bottom line is that there is opportunity everywhere and if we all cut down just an hour of us consuming money, time or bullshit and dedicate to something we would like to achieve, we'd walk a lot further down that achievement road.
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