Recently, I quit my job.
Well, actually It was back in August. At the time I told myself it was because I was going to school full-time and couldn’t work full-time AND go to school. This was true. This was also not the whole story.
Being a veteran, I have had the amazing opportunity to use the GI bill. Currently, they will pay a living alotment and pay the tuition. It’s a great deal. I can actually go to school full-time, and if I manage my money tightly (very tightly), not have to work. This is what I’ve been doing.
Unemployment in California is 12%. Some people think I was completely crazy for quitting my job in the face of that. I recently realized what made me send my boss a letter that fateful day back in August. I felt guilty. I felt guilty for having a job which I didn’t like, didn’t need, while there were lots of people who desperately needed work. One guy I worked with did the job just because “he was bored”, his wife made over $250,000 a year. That disgusted me. I could only see that as a selfish greed. An arrogant, “I’m going to do whatever I want” attitude. Those of you that know me might be laughing, because that was certainly my attitude in the Navy (sorry!!!), but I’ve come to realize that we have a responsibility as Americans. A responsibility to pay debt (D’oh!), to help others, and to not be greedy.
I realized that it was my responsibility as a citizen of the United States of America, to do everything I could, to sacrifice what I could to help others. No one forced me to do it, no one asked me to do it. Hell, at the time, I don’t even think I realized why I was doing it. I did it because I didn’t need it. This was my sacrifice, opening up a decent-paying job for someone who would respect it and use it, someone who needed it. I’m sure there were plenty of those people around. Heck, mabye the guy that they hired as a temp got to be full-time, he certainly needed it. And I didn’t. I’m not trying to blow my own horn, as I said -I didn’t realize this at the time, but we all need to make sacrifices, and maybe I can sleep easier knowing that though I am a poor student, barely getting by (actually moving to Dallas, Tx because its much cheaper to live) maybe, just maybe, there is someone coming home from work every day, doing the job that I did, putting food on the table for his children.
Maybe.
5 Comments
Matt,
I appluad your decision to quit. I think its great that you realized you could make life better both for yourself and someone else by doing so. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will solve the unemployment issue in California by everyone in your situation making that sacrifice.
Rich
I think we’d be surprised by what we can solve with individual actions. But that’s just me. I’m an optimist!
Remember, implying that “we can’t solve it” is suggesting that “they can.” I thought you were anti-big government…
Ok, that’s just baiting. Excellent point though Rich. I really want to believe in the power of people. Perhaps too much.
Matt, that is wonderful, and I also applaud your choice. I disagree with Rich though, I do believe you are correct in that if we each make choices, not just based upon the impact on our own lives, but on the impact it will have on others, we may be able to create solutions to a great many problems this country has.
Your decision to accept that you do have a responsibility to those around you, whether you know them or not, is what makes the freedom you have worth so much more. And though you labeled it baiting, if more people made these kind of sacrifices for each other, there would never be a need for government to overreach and intervene.
Chris and Matt,
I am not disagreeing, far from it. IF EVERYONE made choices based on not only how it affects them but how it affects everyone else also, we would not need government at all. Oh what a wonderful world that would be! Unfortunately, we humans are naturally selfish. Even our altruistic acts tend be subconciously driven by the fact being nice to people makes us feel good and in some cases even superior. On the religous side, you have to be good to go to heaven right?
So, no we will never solve all the problems through altruism alone, but selfish or not, we can get close.
Rich
I would probably revise your characterization from selfish to self-oriented. The difference is the level of disregard for others.
Selfish people tend to make choices that benefit themselves over others and willfully disregard the welfare of others. Self-oriented people tend to be oblivious of others in their decisions, and when made aware, may choose to help others or make choices that benefit others.
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