When I was about six years old, I was sitting in the living room of our house on Williams Street in Lebanon, OR. My aunt Misty (my mom’s sister) had come in and was visibly upset. I overheard the adults talking about my grandparents (my mom’s parents) not being able to make ends meet. They didn’t have money for food and some of their bills.
At that time in my life, I was saving up for a Nintendo gaming system. I was in the living room counting the money that I’d earned (which was next to nothing at that time… I was six, sue me) from doing chores and working whenever I could. I stared down at the small wad of bills and change that totalled a little over $7 (which is a lot for a six year old, especially in 1988). That Nintendo, I decided, suddenly seemed pretty unimportant.
I remember that point vividly in my life, as I remember it was one of the first times I sacrificed what I wanted for the well being of somebody else. I interrupted the conversation and said, “They can have my money.” I collected all that I had, every penny, and handed it to my mom. She broke down and cried, and gave me a big hug.
I don’t think that I’m a saint for having done this. It was simply the right thing to do, and I don’t expect anyone else would have done things differently. I started thinking about it this morning, because I heard a conversation between my neighbor and his eight year old kid. The kid demanded (didn’t ask, wasn’t polite) that his father buy him an XBOX 360 or a Wii.
Demanded. And on top of that, when his father said it might not happen, the kid cried and screamed and threw a huge fit. Over that. I can understand wanting something so bad that it hurts. I do. But I don’t understand the mentality that somehow you’re owed anything in this life. Let me put it politely for those that think anything remotely like that: You are owed nothing. You will never be owed anything. Your life is even on loan to you.
I wanted to go over and smack the kid, but alas, my better judgement got the best of me. It concerns me that you don’t see random acts of kindness and giving from kids very often these days. Does that make me old? Is this where I start swinging my cane at kids that come up to my porch?
The overall American mentality these days is “MINE! GIMME! MORE!” (pretty much in that order), and I can’t help but be saddened by this. It’s such a sad state of affairs, and I don’t think it will ever get any better.