Democrat At Birth, Republican By Death
Some say that cash is king, while others will tell you it’s the root of all evil.
I say that cash can be helpful, but it's not everything. Since we were children, the chase has been on. For many of our generation, it has become the fuel for every desire.We can’t embark on life’s adventure without some funds. Cash, in its many forms, is a worldly currency with an ability to turn men into demons and women into to soulless shells, just the same. Some would sell their happiness, others would sell their organs, but in the worst of cases many will sell their soul for cash despite the notorious widely spread adage by Biggie Smalls that states, "Mo money, mo problems”.
He had a good point, but in order to truly understand this phrase, we have put it into perspective. Those who subscribe to Mr. Wallace’s point of view would have you believe that being in possession of more money tends to bring on more problems, but it is also just as likely that those in Biggie’s cohort happen to be the same ones flaunting the very fact that they have more money by rapping about it in hit records that get worldwide syndication. What they might not understand is the simple fact that Money makes you a target, just as possession of a football would in a game where the main concern is to run towards the ball. Any man on the field who finds himself in possession of money becomes one, or another team's target. The other team will run, jump, and crawl in order to get to him. They'll administer blows to knock the man down or in hope he loosens his grip. Any man who allows the scent of his freshly hunted venison to waft through the woods invites the wolves to feast. Anyone and everyone is capable of stepping into the role of the wolf, the idea of “the other team” has many manifestations and always gets stronger as you advance. Because of this, the further away you get from poverty, the more advanced the techniques of your opposition.
Knowing this fundamental truth about the power of cash, we can now use it as a lens through which we can examine the ways to approach our futures. When I was a kid I wanted nothing less than to be an inventor. My mom not being one to crush her star-eyed son’s dreams, warned me that inventors are like artists, they aren't paid for their work until after they create something. That day I realized I need something to support me while I invent things. Engineers leaving college can expect an adequate amount of compensation for conquering the grueling curriculum many universities put them through. Taking the strengths I possessed and using them to facilitate the things I actually wanted to do. The decision was pretty much already made , I needed to be an Engineer. It was an obvious choice, learning how to shape the world around us is what our Human ancestors have been doing since we began to cover our bodies. Not only would I be continuing an important human legacy, but I would also be able to broaden my skills and gain experience while still being creative. Engineering is one of those professions that can be quite difficult to get in, but once you’ve arrived it’s difficult to be escorted out. A field filled with “braniacs” lacking in social skills sounds like a walk in the park. A kid with large dreams and the ability to speak his soul’s desires fluently could truly do damage. Give this individual a good understanding of the human condition and you got a recipe for success. I knew if I could function technically like Stephen Hawkins, market myself like a Don Draper product campaign, and still spread enlightenment like the Dalai Lama I could truly shift the way the world works. Engineering offered me a stage that I could shine on. It is a technical field dominated by the standards put in place by the original pioneers. Every once in a while a savant comes along questioning the old school and improves the process. This is where I switched lanes and changed the final destination. My gift is the creativity I nurture within, it keeps allowing me to solve issues in unorthodox ways. Engineering needed an artist and I a canvas. It offered me job security and with experience it offered bargaining chips. Engineering is and always will be one of those respected professions that need no further explanation at dinner parties. It’s respectable field and shows some level of professionalism. Sadly it got very black and white(boring its demographic to death). I decided to grab my wildest colors and paint it over.
When people ask me what I'm out for, I calmly reply "North of 6 figures". Most who hear this just think that I'm money hungry, driven by selfish principles, but they don’t know that my grandfather challenged me to clear a six figure income before the age of 30. Since my grandfather has passed away, I can no longer negotiate the terms of this agreement. But a man is only as good as his actions and mine will be led by my words.
It's not about the money. Cash, though helpful, means nothing to me. However, I look around my neighborhood everyday and see people struggling; talented and fantastically educated people who have to fight tooth and nail to make ends meet. My goal is to show my fellow Savages that the life they always dreamed of was possible. Not all my friends have grandiose dreams, but I feel it is my duty to give them a reason to start having them. There was a time when the world was flooded with innovation and discovery, where everyone around was literally shooting for the moon and beyond. Now, for some reason, we’re all happy to merely just reach for the low hanging fruit. This is unacceptable to me, I’m happy to climb higher than any tree to get the fruit from the top. My Promethean outlook on life is driven by a need for my peers to see the greatness that lies in their potential.
Every woman and man deserves an opportunity to live life as they see fit. With their life, it is their duty to develop an environment that creates pioneers out of each child they bear. Humanity’s legacy is one that has been shaped by Pioneers, those who master humanity’s skills and create new ones to carry our species into the future. We all deserve that freedom but we must be willing to work for it. Everyday I make the necessary sacrifices to inspire the sons of Savageland to want more out of life. My sacrifice will not go in vain. Money is never the end game, a life without shackles is. This Savage will live freely as he was meant to. Free to think, free to travel, free to live, and always free to be.
My father once told me "Son we are democrats. Your mother work hard to provide you guys with the best life we can give you."
To my father I say " Don't worry your son will die a republican when it comes to this money thing."
