luck, hard work, and other rants

I know it’s been awhile since I have posted; I do apologize, and I’ll try to get more details about this fascinating life up more often. I know you’re all itching to know everything (that was a joke, for those who couldn’t tell).

Maybe I’ve been listening too long to conservative radio hosts (sorry Boortz, you’re not libertarian. You’re a conservative), but I’m really getting tired of people assuming the good things in life are handed out on a silver spoon, or that success in life is purely luck. I deal with people all day who assume they don’t have to pay for the services given; that they were a gift to them and by golly we better keep giving them. To those people, I would have something to say to you, but I’m trying to not spew the f-word so much, so I guess I can’t. Darn.

Someone (who shall not be named) said yesterday that what I have had thus far in life was luck. The fact that I don’t have to work jobs I absolutely hate with a passion was not a result of my hard work or skills I’ve learned over the years, but luck. That pissed me off and made me almost haul off and pop him one.  I don’t have much; however, I have enough that I don’t complain. I have a job that pays well enough that I can mostly make ends meet, have a company matched 401k, and pretty damn good health insurance. I’m not about to leave this company any day soon. I may change positions in the company; I’m taking my pesticide license exam either next month or September, and once I pass I will see my monthly income shoot up to almost $3500.

Did I get this by luck? Hell no. I’ve spent the past 9 years learning how to put up with people’s shit and take it with a smile. I’ve worked 2, sometimes 3 jobs for the past year and did it back in 2004 too. Yes, I’ve walked out of jobs and burned a few bridges, but as a general rule I’ve sucked it up and dealt with a lot more crap then some people have, which is what helped me get this job in a time when nobody was hiring. They were impressed with my customer service background and good typing skills. I didn’t get those by sitting on my butt all day and expecting a welfare check, or by wishing on a lucky star.

As a result, I have a car that runs well and won’t be dying any day soon, a chance to earn tons of money, and a chance to actually save money for a house, kids, and God forbid I live that long, retirement. Nobody is guaranteed success; rather, we are all guaranteed the equal opportunity to work for success and the equal opportunities to education and the chance to bust our ass to make it in life. I’m not so arrogant as to think there was no luck involved at all; I had the luck and privilege to be born in the best damn country on earth and the luck and privilege to be born to a set of parents who have been there for me and gave me a good work ethic. The rest was a result of my blood, sweat, and tears and faith that somehow, someway God would provide. He has never failed me, never will, and between Him and my determination to prove a few naysayers wrong (I’ll never make anything of myself in life? Flip you, cod-bucket), I will be successful.

To those expecting  the government to provide, thinking that President Teleprompter will save you from your troubles, or thinking that those in life that have ‘made it’ are just lucky and knew the right people, get off your butt and do something about yourself. Get out there and meet the right people. Learn a trade or skill that will make you useful. Quit expecting the right ‘lucky stars’ to fall in your lap and go find your own success.

I end this with the following piece of entertainment from Adult Swim. Hey sometimes you just gotta let it all go and laugh:

http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a250aae222b916701222ce27cae0014