The Waiting Room
As some of you may know, I live and work in a pretty small community in South Central Georgia. While I wasn't born here, my kids grew up here so we definitely have roots in this rural community. With that said, over the last twenty years we have lived in the area, I seen a lot of economic boom and bust. When we first moved here in the early 1990's, there were small factory jobs in nearly every community. But as the years passed, those jobs left the area one by one for the "greener pastures" of unregulated overseas locations.
So over the last twenty years I've seen a fairly happy group of folks turn into a group that basically distrust anyone and everything. The reason I bring this up is, while I myself look to find "silver linings" in most situations. Many, many individuals both urban and rural feel they have been delivered a bad hand. And as time marches, the crowd grows as once individuals and families that were once doing okay now find themselves dealt hands not of their own doing.
So when I hear people simply giving up a shot at a life any better than what they have, how can I blame them? I more so than most totally understand existing in a total vacuum of helplessness. Where you become so conditioned to the shocks of life, you become numb to them. Here's the part where you may say, "thanks for cheering me up before Christmas". You're welcome.
As the years have passed, and I've seen my dreams take form, develop, and grow, this reminds me that without faith nothing ever happens. Now you can take that to believe in a higher power or simply a belief in yourself. Either way, it's you looking at a helpless situation and changing it. The point here is, you don't have to be satisfied with what's around you. Only you have the power to improve your situation.
Now before I start sounding like one of those cassettes you purchased late night some thirty years ago, let me stress. Setting with what you see in front of you is okay, if that's what you're happy with. But are you happy? As I've gotten older my ideas of success have changed. I've discovered that studying for a career for the sake of money isn't a life. That even the poorest person doing something they love is a better career choice.
So the questions stands. Are you happy with where you are? Or are you still in the waiting for anything to happen.
So over the last twenty years I've seen a fairly happy group of folks turn into a group that basically distrust anyone and everything. The reason I bring this up is, while I myself look to find "silver linings" in most situations. Many, many individuals both urban and rural feel they have been delivered a bad hand. And as time marches, the crowd grows as once individuals and families that were once doing okay now find themselves dealt hands not of their own doing.
So when I hear people simply giving up a shot at a life any better than what they have, how can I blame them? I more so than most totally understand existing in a total vacuum of helplessness. Where you become so conditioned to the shocks of life, you become numb to them. Here's the part where you may say, "thanks for cheering me up before Christmas". You're welcome.
As the years have passed, and I've seen my dreams take form, develop, and grow, this reminds me that without faith nothing ever happens. Now you can take that to believe in a higher power or simply a belief in yourself. Either way, it's you looking at a helpless situation and changing it. The point here is, you don't have to be satisfied with what's around you. Only you have the power to improve your situation.
Now before I start sounding like one of those cassettes you purchased late night some thirty years ago, let me stress. Setting with what you see in front of you is okay, if that's what you're happy with. But are you happy? As I've gotten older my ideas of success have changed. I've discovered that studying for a career for the sake of money isn't a life. That even the poorest person doing something they love is a better career choice.
So the questions stands. Are you happy with where you are? Or are you still in the waiting for anything to happen.
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