Comforts

    We are not fragile, but we baby ourselves constantly.  "I am hungry and I am away from home, therefore I need to stop and eat out."  But I will be home within a few hours.  Am I so dainty that I can't bear a little hunger for two hours?  If true, that is sad.  

    A friend on facebook recently made a political post talking about how it takes so much more money and time to raise a family these days than it did when her parents were working.  I am as passionate a believer that the middle class is getting screwed as anybody, but it also begs the question; did her parents have iphones and a car for every member of the family and a habit of eating out for half of their meals during the week?  Definitely not.  It's called lifestyle inflation, and we are all guilty of it.  The things that used to be considered incredible luxuries are now basic necessities that we consider ourselves entitled to.

    Probably one of the most useful character traits that can be developed is the ability to go without.  If I have gone over 30 years without something, how can I really make the argument that I need it?  This all ties into the theme of this blog.  We need to stay hard.  Not cold and emotionless, but hard.  It is a healthy thing to differentiate ourselves from a society that caters to every whim and coddles every slight discomfort.  In my daily life, I need to remind myself of these facts.  A little hunger, a little fatigue, a little thirst, a little pain; this is all manageable.  Act accordingly.