PatBlogahan.com

When I was in 9th grade, I had a weird science teacher named Mr. Semple. We called it Simple Semple Science, except for me science was never easy. Mr. Semple said one thing in that nine months that really stood out. It stood out so much that here I am writing about it 6 years later. Ha. Gotcha! 28 years later.
He was talking about rights for some reason. What our rights are as humans and he boiled it all down to one thing WORK. He said, “We all have one right. That’s it. One! To work. We have the right to work. That’s what we’re here to do. Work.” At the time I took that as his way of telling us to do our homework and junk like that which was very uninteresting to me. But it kept cooking inside of me and eventually really hit home.
He was right. I have one right. Not to win or be loved or be understood or any of the other things that our parents or lovers or government tell us. Look around you. Look around the world. So few things are respected and considered sacred. But, work!? Yes. It is globally respected. Effort. Willingness. Striving. Not conquering. Not coming in first or going platinum. Just work.
The world has somehow transformed that right. Kids want to be famous. When asked, “For what?” few ever know or care.
As parents, we try so hard to give our children everything, thinking that is better than what we had, which in most cases was very little. Then, unless we are very well adjusted, we start to think that we deserve things. It’s our right to have, since we have had in the past. We are owed. We are deserving. It’s not fair.
When it’s all boiled down, it ends up somehow being fair. I mean otherwise it would be different, right? I mean I don’t really know anything but it seems like the Universe is dealing shit out the way she sees fit. Some of it is awful. Some of it is too great to comprehend. What rights do any of us really have? Well, if you ask Mr. Semple, it is to work. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Look, I write these blogs as blind as can be. I don’t know shit. I have no advice for anyone. I love things. I loath things. I am so “regular” in every way. I like ball games and music and chess and chocolate and all kind of shit. I have so many things that I am grateful for.
When I had to give every cent to someone else after I did all the work, I had to figure out how to survive. I remembered that I only have one right. Not to have that money cause it’s all bullshit anyway.
I have the right to go out there and work. That’s it.
Why am I saying all this? I have no idea.

Breathe.

Okay. Goodnight. I love you.

Pat