Occupy Life

Maybe it's my stellar mood.  Maybe it's that I've watched Fox and Friends for too many hours today.  Maybe, I've just got a little of that Draper streak in me.  But so help me, if I hear just one more idiot "Occupier" talk about how the rich should give them something, my brain might explode tonight.  And just to protect myself, CLICK, off goes the TV.

Let me share my frustration in a way that makes me seem a little less ranting.  Yesterday, my mother was sitting by Daddy's hospital bed, and she was talking about all the years he worked at Hooker Furniture.  She said that all her kids must have a little of Daddy in them, because none of them are afraid of a hard day's work.  You see, my Dad worked in the maintenance department at Hooker Furniture for 47 years.  If you have never darkened the door of a furniture factory, then you can consider yourself lucky.  Let me paint the briefest of pictures with this summary -- dirty, hot, and frustrating.  Daddy was also in charge of blowing the whistle.  Yep, the whistle.  The whistle that said "Time to go to work".  Or "Time for Lunch".  Or "Time to Go Home".  So he went in to work at 6AM every morning.  And he worked until 6PM every night.  Except on Saturdays.  That was his short day - he got off at Noon.  So, the math on that is that my Daddy worked 66 hours every week for as long as I can remember, and until the day he retired at 67 years old.  And that was just his day job.  That doesn't count coming home at night and going to the farm to feed the cows in the winter, or mow hay in the summer.  Or the weekends when he spent the rest of his Saturday baling hay, planting corn, hoeing weeds from the garden, or working on whatever piece of equipment wasn't working. He took one day off each week.  Sunday.  The rest of the week, he worked for everything we needed, and everything he ever got.  He worked callouses on his fingers, baked his skin in the summer sun, and worked until he fell asleep on the couch each night.  He worked.  He never once expected anyone to give him anything.  He had a grade school education, and no money to start with.  He went out and earned every penny he ever got.  He would have been embarrassed to ask for something from someone just because they had it to give.

I grew up in that house.  I watched how hard he worked.  I finished school.  I went to college.  I never wanted to have to work as hard as he did.  But I still never expected anyone to give me anything.  I have two brothers and two sisters.  They grew up the same way.  We watched our father go to work every day and give all he had so that we had the things we needed.  He may not have been rich, but he owned everything he had around him, and we had enough.  We all grew up and got jobs, and we've done okay for ourselves.  But I know this - all my brothers and sisters have worked for everything they have.  They grew up that way - they know no other way.  I grew up that way.  I don't want to be any other way.  I have nieces and nephews all around.  They grew up that way, too.  We all had good role models, and have come to realize the importance of a work ethic.  I want to have the same peace of mind and sense of satisfaction I know my Dad had - a pride in what he had done.  The knowledge that he could take care of his family - the clear conscience he had when he closed his eyes at night, knowing he had earned all he had in life.  That's what I want.  I want to set an example.  I want my family to learn from me - that you can be proud of the job you do - that nothing is out of your reach if you work for it.  That everything you want in life is at the end of putting forth 100% and working for it.  I have received some wonderful gifts in life - birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, no-reason-for-it gifts.  But usually, I am most happy with those things that I work hard and save my money to acquire.  My husband built our house with his two hands.  I am most proud of his accomplishment and our commitment to having a nice home for our family.  I work hard to maintain that home.  I am proud of that.  I want to be remembered for that.

I have never once, in my 42 years on this earth, sat back and wondered "Why should I work so hard?  Bill Gates has so much money - he should just give me some of his."  Nope - doesn't even sound sane when I say it out loud.  Nor have I thought that the bank, since they make so much money - should just give me some of it.  I'm pretty sure most of that money is promised to the people who put it there, and to the people willing to risk what they have on those investments.  Maybe, if I risked more, I'd have more.  But I'm not that much of a risk taker - makes it tougher for me to sleep at night. I'll leave that to the boys on Wall Street - and if they make money, then they've earned it.  If they lose money - then they have to worry about how they sleep at night.  I want no part of it.  You see, I didn't pay attention 100% of the time in school, but I am pretty sure I remember a history class where we discussed that this nation was founded by people who just wanted an opportunity.  An opportunity - not a hand out.  In fact, I seem to recall somewhere in the Declaration, that there are some unalienable rights, and I think they were life, liberty, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  Now, I don't recall anywhere in that document there being an addendum that included "other people's wealth" as an additional unalienable right.  But maybe I'm taking that document a little too literally....  I've heard that mentioned a few times, too.  Apparently, our founding fathers "didn't mean" a lot of things the way they said them.  But I digress.

Here's the thing.  I work really hard to take care of my family.  I make a very nice salary, and I am able to, with my husband's salary, provide for our family and enjoy some nice things.  I am very proud of that.  I will do all I can to protect those things.  I will do all I can to make sure my family has what they need.  I owe them that security.  And I have no problem giving money and assisting those who cannot provide for themselves - the disabled, the elderly, the sick and needy.  I do not, however, owe some kid straight out of college, who believes in this 99% bullshit, anything.  I will more than happily interview them for a job.  I will be happy to buy them a newpaper and point out the classifieds.  But I do not believe in the "redistribution of wealth" so that those who have a work ethic can support those who do not.  They should consider the option to "Occupy the Employment Commission" instead.  But, if the Land of Opportunity does not appeal to you, take that tent, and your less than stellar "Occupy" signage, to a socialist country, where the government can take care of you.  You're currently occupying space that could be taken by an immigrant who actually longs for the opportunity to work in the US and earn something for themselves.  Feel free.  Go seek out a better government who will equalize wealth.  Trust me.  You'll be back.