Life is Not Fair......

 

We all know that life is not fair. However, there are some people who have it so much harder than other people do.  It makes me question "why".

Why in a world as technologically savvy as our planet, is there so much disparity in and contrast among our peoples?  Why do so many have so little?

 It all boils down to the same idea...life is not fair.  We are different cultures, countries, different religions.  However, we are all sharing a spot in this world at this particular time.  We are connected by invisible ties. We may never understand each other, but it does not mean we shouldn't try.


That is the" old hippie and the unsuccessful social worker "in me, who always had the desire to make the world a better place, doing the talking. These feelings, from time to time, raise up a nasty head and spew venom for it's own purpose, to rattle my cage and to make me think outside my own comfort zone. 

It is when I least expect it, that the truth slaps me in the face.  It could be a picture I see, a song I hear, the news or maybe an old friend that I have run into and all hell has gone wrong in their lives. They have aged 10 years, in 6 months.  Life isn't fair.  Bad things happen to good people all the time.

This time, what brought me back to a different reality,  was a postcard from a good friend in the Orient, that depicted an old man trying to farm with a water buffalo.  I looked at the picture off and on for two days.  It is a wonderful shot of a life I know nothing about.The old man is blessed to have the water buffalo.  Imagine trying to do his farming without one.

I have placed the postcard beside my computer, to remind me of this fact, that is so easily forgotten, in this rapidly moving world. It is not just about me, nor the man in the picture, but all of us.

Looking at the picture, I see a man of an indefinite age, plagued by heat, land that seems less than cooperative and to me, it looks like he has the worries of world on his back.


The land may not even be his.  Probably isn't. He may work for a small percentage of money on land he will never call his own.

Much like share croppers do here in America.   I married a share cropper's son.  I know how hard he and his family had it at times.  They made it. Tommy and his family have good lives....some horrible, sad
memories, but good lives.  I love them and for all they have accomplished.  They beat the odds.  I hope the man in this picture does the same.


I hope he goes home to a loving family, who have plenty of clean water to drink and food to eat. I hope he looks back on his day with pride instead of hate and regret.  I hope he is a happy man, living a simple life and proud of it. I hope his home is clean and filled with laughter, after all the work is done.


Life isn't fair.  Never has been --- never will be.  With all my heart, I hope the odds even out sooner rather than later. 

I also know that this will never happen.   That is the bottom line and a fundamental fact for all mankind to come to terms with. Do the best we can with what we have. Help our fellow man and make the most of the life we have been given. And never forget that life is not fair. We all  carry our own baggage and burdens.  Collectively or individually we are in this together.

Then there is another question that can never be answered to please everyone-----What is fair?? Many a war has been fought over these three words, and we still have no answer.