So it’s kind of come to my attention that the human race is flawed.  I know, news flash, right?  There’s something somewhat specific that I’m talking about, though.  More and more I’ve really noticed that we as humans expect something out of life.  We expect it to work.  We expect it to be what we dream.  We expect to be happy and have everything work out for us.  And when it doesn’t, we get pissed.  I mean, seriously pissed.  It’s like we expect the world to cater to us, to revolve around us.  And I’m pretty sure that almost every human suffers from this problem.

I would have to say that I have probably noticed this problem is probably the most evident when in traffic.  Think about it.  Every day someone cuts you off, honks at you because you are turning too slow, wants you to let them in even though it’s their own fault they pulled into the wrong lane and are now holding up traffic… can you tell I have encountered people with this issue?  And that I suffer from it myself?  Do we think that we own the road?  We don’t, the government does and allows us to drive on it, allow with millions of other drivers.  And everyone thinks they know how to drive and thinks that they are the only one that really knows the right way to drive.  Do we even realize that everyone else has learned to drive somehow and probably thinks that they are doing it the right way as well?  Do we ever stop to consider that maybe we are the ones in the wrong, or that maybe there is more than one correct way to drive?  Or maybe we shouldn’t just think that since we pulled out first in the line of traffic that we shouldn’t let someone else in, that they don’t deserve it.  We come first… and we’re entitled to be upset if anyone dares get in our way.

And thus comes out the root of all of it.  Entitlement.  We were born in the U.S. – the land of the free and the brave, right?  So we automatically inherit the right to have a job, money, a house, a car, a significant other, and these days a computer, a cell phone, and a TV.  Well, sure – we do inherit that right.  But does that mean we are entitled to have these things, that because of who we are, they should just be ours?  Honestly, a lot of people seem to think so.  But guess what?  Not everyone has them.  Not even everyone in the United States has them.  And why is that?  Well, a lot of it has to do with where and how they happened to grow up.

I grew up in a small town, part of a lower middle-class family.  So I had everything I needed.  We struggled at times, sure, but we always had a place to live and food on the table.  But really, not too much more than that.  My parents bought me things when they could, and we took trips when we could, but there were definitely plenty of times when we were hurting for cash.  My dad, when he had a stroke several years ago and became unable to work, had to sell off his entire business just to be able to continue to support himself and my mom.  So growing up… well, we were kind of only really a few steps away from the poor house at times.  Well, I grew up, and got myself through college, and landed a good job and have really just moved forward since then.  I don’t struggle financially usually, I’m able to pay all my bills, and have done pretty decent for myself.  But what if I had wound up in a different situation?  What if I hadn’t been interested in and good at something that could get me a job making decent money?  What if I hadn’t been able to find a job?  What if I’d been in a situation that made it harder to be able to go to college?  I could’ve easily found myself there – plenty of people are.  Would I still feel like I deserve everything that I have?

One of the reasons I started volunteering at Outreach, Inc. was because I knew that I was just one circumstance away from being in the same position the kids they serve are.  What if I’d grown up differently, being around people that maybe were in a gang and that was the norm, or with parents that mistreated or neglected me, or with a mental disability that left me unable to understand what I really needed to do to survive?  What if I’d been born to a single mom that had no money?  Any of those things could’ve been very possible and would’ve put me into a very different situation.  Why should I think I’m any better than anyone else around me or entitled to anything more than they have?  Obviously they aren’t entitled to all that I have, or they would have it, right?  But if I could be in their situation – if that’s a possibility – then why do I have all of this and they don’t?  Maybe I’m not really entitled to anything at all.  Maybe I’m really no better than the guy that cut me off in traffic, or the beggar on the street downtown that I just pass up with looking at.

So really, what are we entitled to?  Anything?  Certainly there are people both born in the United States and other countries that are born into poverty with pretty much nothing to their name.  Is it by any act of our own that we weren’t born that way?  I’d say no, it’s really not.  So maybe we need to think about that some more.  Look around you at all that you have.  I know it’s cliché, saying we should be grateful for all we have, and that’s not what I’m getting at, really.  What I want you to examine is your attitude more than anything.  Sure, be grateful you have things and people in your life that you enjoy.  But I advise you to take a long hard look at how you behave, what you expect from the world and the people around you.  Do you expect them to cater to you?  Do you expect to get that good parking spot close to the door because you deserve it?  Take a look at how you’re living and the attitude you have when you walk into a restaurant or store somewhere, or even when you’re with your friends.  Do you expect things from them?  Do you expect the world – your servers, your fellow drivers, your friends – to cater to you just because you are you?  Maybe you shouldn’t.  Maybe, instead, you should sprinkle your attitude with a bit more humility and realize that you could’ve ended up someone completely different.  You could’ve ended up being that person next to you, with their problems and blessings instead of yours – so maybe you’d better be a bit more thoughtful about how you treat them.