Spare A Dime?

Money seems to be everyone’s main interest nowadays. It dictates everything one does in life: where they go to school or college, what clothes they wear, what kind of car or house they have, their vacations, everything. And the sad thing is, many people fall victim to shallow belief that if someone doesn’t have loads of money, that they’re insignificant and unworthy of anything, including human rights. Money corrupts people. There’s no denying that fact. There was no greed before there was some form of payment. Greed and selfishness stem from society’s shallow worship of the dollar. If someone doesn’t have that great of a job, or a job that doesn’t pay well (no matter if it’s what you want to be doing), they are shunned in this capitalistic wasteland we call America. I, for instance, want to be a writer. Yes, this job choice seems a bit vague and naïve, but it’s what I want to do for a living. I know I won’t be bringing in the big bucks 24/7; that doesn’t bother me (although my mother seems to have her own opinion). Money is not my focus in life (although it should be, in other people’s eyes). I do not wish to live in some extravagant house with maids and gardeners and nannies and such. That’s no home in my eyes, merely just a house. A home is where a mother stays home with the kids, raises them to be who they want to be (within reason), and where families are closer together rather than spread apart by numerous floors and rooms. I know this is all quite idealistic, but I have hope that society may one day get the morning crust out of its eyes and see the perfect set up for the typical American family. Boy, was I born decades late.

Money is not something I would perform flips to obtain. You will not see me jumping through numerous hoops just to earn a buck. That’s not what I believe in. I believe in earning money in a way that doesn’t stab at your pride, dignity, or morals. I believe in working hard at what you want to work hard at, whether there is money involved or not. Something like writing cannot be forced through some mediocre bribe. Writing is an art, and art is expression. Not some quick way to earn a bit of cash that’s going to end up being blown on something insignificant and unneeded. It kills me to see young writers strive to produce a weekly column or to see famous authors push to finish another book. These pieces and works tend to come out meaningless and superficial, lacking in the depth of works that were carefully composed. I guess what I’m saying is that there’s not much that I’d do for money, but rather do on my own terms for my own benefit. I do not wish to become a slave to a capitalistic society that basks in its shallow glory. I only wish to become a “me” that is true to her self and that does not let a little thing like money get in the way of true happiness.