Economic times are tough and people are struggling to make it through these hard times. Jobs are scarce and the paycheck keeps shrinking as it doesn’t buy as much as it used to when the dollar was worth more than it is today. The rate of inflation and the feelings of depression have taken a toll on us and we are about to abandon everything we have worked for, fought for or lived for just to survive this rigorous lifestyle we have chosen to be better and to have more than ever before.
Realistically, we all have at one time in our life, exceeded our ability to live within our means and moved out of our old neighborhood into a new neighborhood that was taxing and draining our financial ability to sustain life as we want it to be rather than what we need it to be. We all have forgotten some of the most vital things in life in order to compete with the Joneses and to get away from where we were once in our existence and arrived at a final destination that is so stressful, frustrating and full of anxiety we sometimes think we are losing control of our lives competing with others for success.
Surely we must all agree that none of us are suffering from amnesia as we try to forget or have already forgotten where we came from. We have forgotten the basic things in life that got us through the hard times and developed into a new class of creature that forgets to shop frugally, conserve the use of electricity and water and gas to keep the utility bills down and lived in a house that was just the right size for you and the family without the designed extra space or bedrooms filled with materialistic things rather than people in your own family.
We have tasted the success and believe today that success comes naturally. We have forgotten that it took hard work to get there and the help of many to keep the ball rolling towards that successful point in life. You realize that there were no shortcuts and you lived by principle; the principle that gave you power and energy when you had good days and also bad days. You traveled the road to excellence and wealth in a car that ran good enough to get you there and back but without fancy wheels, turbocharged engine or DVD to watch along the way. Some of us carpooled to conserve the gas and others took the bus but today, we see two or three cars parked in the driveways and wonder how in the world they can sustain such burden when others are making it without these luxurious items or delights.
In the words of Albert Pike, “Above all things let us never forget that mankind constitutes one great brotherhood; all born to encounter suffering and sorrow, and therefore bound to sympathize with each other” it is time to recognize that there are ways we can contribute to society’s forgotten by sharing the wealth a little and express your gratitude for your success through thinking of those less fortunate and give back some of what you earned and share it so that you can enjoy the highest appreciation in the world and that is to live the words you so greatly expressed during those times you were struggling and finally making it to the point in your life where you feel successful and gratified for your own accomplishments that began with a dream somewhere in a smaller more conservative setting and igniting your dreams to come true. It is said that “we forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget” and in order to have a “bright future, you can’t forget your past.”
