At the End of the Day... Random Thoughts

First Thought

Does money really make the world go round?

Yes. Some people will say that it does not take money to be happy. But it is truer than any of us want to believe that money makes the world go round. Having money, even a lot of it, may not guarantee that you will be happy or contented with your life. Lacking money for essential things and living in survival mode from day to day, will certainly make life more difficult and make being a happy person more difficult. How can one have any self-esteen and self-respect if there is not enough money in the bank to move beyond just financial survival? Believing in G'd will take one only so far. From my perspective, relying on the kindness of strangers would probably get pretty old very soon.

Okay, to get the green stuff we will have to make compromises. In fact, there will be times that we are expected to be absolutely selfless. But how many of us are capable of being a Mother Teresa? Not many. Most of us have to struggle with weighing our own self-interest against the interests and needs of others. Besides which, if we are unable to provide for our own essential needs first, how are we ever going to be able to step away from our own lives and focus on the genuine needs of others.

At the end of the day, we do what we have to do and accept the difficult choices and disappointments that go with doing that. Except for the fortunate few who end up making great money and doing what they love to do, the rest of us would do well to make the best of the hand we are dealt, with regard to money. Whatever hand we are dealt, it will never be as bad as it could be or as good as we would like it to be. And that is the reality.

Thought Two

Making a difference... what difference does it make if I do or don't?

Even late in the game, I still believe that it is important to make a difference in our communities and in the world. Maybe we can't stop the insanity, the unsettling indifference, the violence and the injustices we witness every day. But by our commitment to making a difference, we can help to make the life of even just one person more bearable and more hopeful. True, we are keeping the wolves of desperation, war, hatred and prejudice at bay for just one more day. However, that may be all that keeps mankind from completely destroying this world today. If you think about it, today is all that we ever really have, with any certainty. And maybe in the process, we can redeem ourselves, because none of us are without misdeeds or omissions.