Entitlement

            I want to preface this blog post by saying I’m not a homophobe, nor a racist, nor misogynistic. I think the gay marriage movement is hands down one of the best social reforms of the 21^st century. I think women are (on average) harder working and more creative than men. I think everyone should have access to equal opportunities, and if that means giving some a boost then so be it. In other words, I don’t have an issue with anyone because of how they were born or for anything else they have no choice over. With that being said, here is my problem with our generation.

            The main problem with our generation is we are extremely entitled. If anything goes slightly wrong, we need everyone to stop what they’re doing and adjust their ways so we don’t feel a little uncomfortable. The first major issue with this I remember having was fifth grade field day. Originally, parents would cook hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids who would quickly eat them and then return to playing with their friends. The town eventually said the parents needed a permit to be cooking food for the kids, so the school switched to pizza. This went on for several years, until one parent was concerned that her child would feel left out because they are lactose intolerant, and cannot eat pizza. Instead of packing a lunch for their child, perhaps packing something special like candy or a favorite type of sandwich, the parent demanded that the school stop serving pizza. Not only was pizza by far the easiest lunch for the school to provide, it was cheap and a favorite of the kids. Because one kid felt a little uncomfortable, everyone had to have everything changed to suit his needs. A hundred unhappy kids to make one kid feel a little les uncomfortable, does that seem like a fair trade? Will the kid remember what he had to eat a few years down the line? No, he’ll remember having fun with his friends, which is the whole point of field day. In the long run, the change will make no difference to him, but made a difference to all of his classmates and every student who will pass through the school in the future.

            Another example of this in recent history was the graduation gown issue at the high school last year. I’m not going to pretend like I have a grasp of what it’s like to be transgender or pangender, but I don’t think the entire gown color tradition needed to be upset because of one unhappy student. Would it really have been that big of a deal for them to pick one color and wear it for the day? If so, could they not have worn a different color or gotten a gown with both colors on it? Much like the previous situation, hundreds of kids that year and thousands in the future had their lives disrupted to make one kid less uncomfortable. I’m not saying the student should just sit there and be uncomfortable, but there are many solutions available that do not require changing everything for everyone.

            As you can see, the clear issue is one person changing something that inconveniences hundreds more because they feel uncomfortable with something. Quite frankly, if something makes me uncomfortable, I tackle it head on. To me that is an opportunity for growth. I understand not everyone thinks like that, and I accept that. I cannot understand how they can rationalize changing something for so many other people when, in reality, there are many other solutions that would not affect others while still (to varying degrees) quell their discomfort. If we proceed into adulthood still weighing our own comfort over everyone else’s lives, we are going to have a very difficult time functioning as a country both within ourselves and with other countries.

            What do you think?

Privilege in Fantasy Football?

            It’s November. The trees have finally lost their leaves, the weather is getting colder every day, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. That means we are in the heart of football season, and that means we are in the heart of fantasy football season. This year was the first time I managed a fantasy football team, yet it feels like something I do annually and I am excited to start fresh next year and pick a new team (especially because my team has won a whopping 2 games of 9 so far). While fantasy football seems like a silly waste of time, it actually is pretty representative of everyone’s privileges and disadvantages if you think about it.

            Being born is like drafting your fantasy team- you really do not have much control over it. That great running back you drafted in the first round? Torn ACL week 1 out for the season. While drafting a fantasy team is a little bit more skill based than being born, they both are largely surrounded with luck. After a few weeks, it becomes clear whose team is going to succeed and whose isn’t. The same goes for life- after living for a while it becomes clear to you if you are meant to succeed in society. Be it skin color, gender, or household income, there are many possible advantages and disadvantages someone can be born into.

            Now, if you draft a bad team you aren’t inherently screwed. You can pick up undrafted players each week who perform well (because of players ahead of them getting injured or finally finding their stride). The way my league works is the player with the worst record gets first dibs at these undrafted players. This allows people who got unlucky with the draft to improve their team and even the playing field (at least a little). While life does not have as fair a system of allowing people who didn’t get a head start to catch up, there are some things in place to allow the less privileged try to catch up to those who are privileged. Some examples of these are scholarships and awards for minorities and welfare for the unemployed. While these systems do not make things even by any means, they definitely work to make things a little less unfair, just like picking up undrafted players in fantasy.

            Now regardless, not everyone is going to be as successful as everyone else. As joint second to last in my league, I can assure you of that. The point is to make the most of what you’re dealt, and to live life to the fullest (for the sake of the analogy, enjoy fantasy football as much as you can). 

What do you think, reader, is this a good analogy? What's an analogy that you would use to describe how some people are born into more than others?

Hair

            Every person has a few aspects of themselves that stick out to other people more than most things. This could be a style of clothing, ear/nose/lip/etc. piercing, tattoo or hairstyle, to name a few. When I was little, I used to always get buzzcuts because it was a quick and easy haircut. As I grew older, I didn’t like how they looked very much and decided to grow my hair out. After a few years of this, I decided I didn’t like the bangs in the front, so I began spiking up the hair in the front. I really liked this haircut, and have been doing it ever since. I have been told many times that my hair sticks out, and that people really like it. Yesterday, my friend Nathan (who also has a rather distinct hair cut) and I decided to shave our heads for the post-season tournament our soccer team is in.

            When I came into school the next day, a lot of my friends and teachers were surprised at the change, some pleased and some angry. I think my haircut had become a part of me and my personality, so when I cut it off it was difficult for some of my friends to recognize me. I felt not different, other than a little colder while walking into school in the morning. I would often forget that my hair was gone, until someone would make a comment and I would remember. Overall, it was really cool to see the difference in how you view yourself and how others view you. Also, it was cool to see how big of an effect our appearance has on others and the way they view us. So, reader, what is a significant characteristic of yours, and what would happen if you suddenly changed it?