What Does Life Owe You?

What does life owe you?

This is probably a question that we answer very differently than how we live. While very few of us would say we are owed privilege, luxury and leisure, there is a trend in our society that people feel gypped when life becomes difficult. Maybe we’re demanding some things out of life that we aren’t actually owed.

DOES GOING TO SCHOOL MEAN YOU DESERVE A JOB?

One of the largest complaints I hear from recent grads is that they studied hard in school and now there is no job for them upon graduation. They had the understanding that education = quick employment. I’m not so sure that this has EVER actually been the case, and it’s certainly not the case in the global economy where people in India, England and Canada are competing for the same positions, with thousands of resumes submitted for each job opening. A degree has never guaranteed a job. Hard work, loyalty to elders with jobs to offer you, and patience has always resulted in jobs. It still will. Life doesn’t owe us a job.

ARE WE OWED 35 HRS, VACATION TIME AND OT?

For people with jobs, the complaint is often that we are “owed” a 35 hr work-week. If we work overtime, we are owed more money or days off. I’m sure glad that there are people who don’t do their jobs based on a time clock. . The snow removal people who clear are roads and make it possible for us to drive while we sleep overnight. I give credit to the people who defend our country around the clock, leaving family, friends and counting up their “work-life balance” on the other side of the world. To the girl who was working at the 24-hour pharmacy on the holiday weekend that sold me cough syrup for my daughter when she couldn’t sleep late at night. I’m glad these people didn’t count hrs and then just stop. In Asia, the common work-week is 45+ hrs. In the UK it’s 40. It the northeast of the US it’s 40+ but in the southwest it’s less than 35. Teachers have the summer off day 1 of their job, but many other people start with two weeks vacay. God said work 6 days and rest 1 day in Genesis, but to work a Saturday seems like the worst possible outcome if you speak to some people. We aren’t “owed” any specific length of work day/week/year. If we are privileged enough to have a job that pays us a salary that affords us to be one of the richest people groups in the world (the 1% if you will) then we’re blessed, not afflicted.

IS IT EVERY CANADIANS RIGHT TO HAVE AN IPHONE AND A NEWER MODEL HONDA CIVIC?

We feel that we are owed privileges and luxuries like no other generation before us had. We look for new homes and nice looking cars. We want to be able to go out and entertain ourselves and that we deserve the latest upgrade in technology. 20 year-old young adults were raised in homes with these luxuries given to them by their parents. We might one day be able to afford some or all of these luxuries, but we sure don’t “deserve” them. We may need to live in one bedroom apartments. Or drive a vehicle that is rusted and breaks down sometimes. We’re young. That’s life - or at least it used to be life.

When I look back at generations that went before us and they seem to have a very different view:

  - They worked until the job was done, not when the clock said they could be done.

  - They were OK to start out their adult lives with no money an no luxuries. Their luxuries came slowly and were earned.

- They were OK with starting at the bottom of the company. Promotion to a better job came with time invested and work proven… not validation by a degree or diploma.

In life we are all owed a few things. Freedom. Maybe love & respect.

Many of us could do ourselves a favour and have a discussion with our grandparents, and be reminded of a society that lived differently, and get inspired to satisfied with less, appreciate what we have instead of what we don’t and turn the societal tide of entitlement.