This is not particularly coherent (let's pretend that is a change from my other posts) but things have been bothering me and thus I shall vent all over y'all.

I've been pondering the entitlement mentality lately.  This time my thoughts as such were spurred by the push to forgive student loan debt.  Now, I oppose this on a philosophical basis but were it to pass, I would most certainly take it.  I have massive, massive student loan debt and, frankly, I'll never be out from under it.  However, this debt is my responsibility for my decisions and my choices and the consequences are mine.  I don't like them but I will live with them.  However, it seems that there are many who believe that they should be free to go to an Ivy League school, rack up $150k in debt, then take a job in Midtown Manhattan as a social worker and still be perfectly free to live in a nice loft and buy Prada and go out every night.  The idea of sacrifice and struggle and making choices is simply laughable.  It's as if all of life is to have a guarantee and no hard choices should ever need to be made.

I am greatly concerned by the seeming acceptance of the concept that one is entitled to an easy life just because.  I saw it once referred to as the baby proofing of life and I think that sums it up.  No hard edges.  No steep falls.  No dangers at all.  All of life is now to be a smooth trajectory with guard rails and cushy pillows and no consequences whatsoever. 

I loathe this.  If I am not responsible for my failures, then I cannot take credit for my success.  Life hurts.  Sometimes life hurts an enormous amount.  But life is also capable of granting amazing highs.  This urge to level everything out, to become Prozac Nation indeed, is greatly worrisome.  I don't understand how it's easier to let someone else rule your life.  Sure, there are times when that's great but not as a constant thing. 

Growing up is understanding that you have to turn your back on some things in order to have others.  Does that suck?  Oh hell yes.  Is that fair?  Nope.  But that's how life is.  Attempting to think otherwise will only end in tragedy.  Yet it seems that our politics are now becoming the Cult of the Perpetual Teenager.  And as much as I wouldn't mind having my 18 yo body back, I do mind being treated like a teenager now.  I don't need the government telling me what to eat, when to sleep, how fast to drive, what to smoke or not smoke or any of the myriad of things that now are Federal cases. 

I just want to be left alone to struggle through the best I can.  I hate that this is becoming too much to ask. 

Now, as a reward for the tl;dr  IDF babes.    

Posted by: alexthechick at 02:25 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 502 words, total size 3 kb.