The One Where I’ll Earn My Keep

“There is no free lunch.” is something both my parents told me when I was growing up.

That advice holds true, especially today.

It seems most people are looking for that free lunch.

Went to college and racked up student debt? Uncle Joe will help you pay that bill.

Does your small business need COVID money? We got the grant for you. The Chinese figured this out. NBC News reported: “Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service.”

This safety net comes with a cost.

This incessant need for security has the side effect of making us helplessly dependent on others- colleges, employers, financial planners, and governments. Entities that offer the empty promises of a safe and predictable future. Although you’ll need to hand over your life’s pen and personal power in exchange for this undertaking.

Yes, predictability has its place. But those who abhor uncertainty are ensuring the production of a lackluster script, unworthy of reading. StoryAthletes love the blank page emblematic of uncertainty.

As for me, thanks but no thanks. I’ll earn my keep.