As the push for the presidency heats up around America, it’s easy to get swallowed up by the noise surrounding each politician and policy that Americans are arguing for and against. I know that 99 percent of the articles seen and read on the internet during this time of year are politically linked, so I will not go that direction. As much as I want to, I digress. Instead, I will examine the core of humans, what makes them who they are, and what they believe.
In my opinion, humans are who they are because of personal experiences. A person may act a certain way because of how they were raised, or how they were taught. For example, I was always taught to pay for anything I wanted on my own. So as soon as I became of age to work, I got a job. At 14 years old, I cleaned the bathrooms at the county fair because I wanted a Boston Red Sox jersey. I come from an upper-middle class family, and it wasn’t that they couldn’t afford to get me a jersey, it’s that they wanted to instill in me the work ethic. They wanted me to work hard, and earn that jersey. That just what I did. I cleaned those bathrooms all summer at the Orange County Fair for a David Ortiz jersey.
This work ethic is missing among America’s youth today. Even adults my age, at the ripe age of 21, haven’t worked a day in their lives. It’s disappointing to see so much being asked for from my generation. A free college education, free healthcare, a higher wage. We must remember there is no such thing as a free lunch. That cost and burden will be put on someone. There are ways to get a free education, free healthcare, and pay for your daily life. The young adults asking for these handouts are seriously lacking character, and any drive or gumption to go out and get what you want. Gutless young citizens around the nation are so tuned in to what they desire, without thinking about the people surrounding them. I worked hard for my money to pay for my education, and I will stand my ground to make sure it is not taken from me.
Do you want a free college education? Instead of protesting by walking a mile with one million other students, why not work for your education and join the armed forces? The great President Franklin Roosevelt signed this awesome bill in 1944 called the G.I. Bill ,which provided many benefits for returning veterans, including tuition payments for higher education. Believe it or not, the military also provides health benefits! Crazy, I know. All it takes is two years, and you’ve earned everything. I come from a military family who reaps the asset of veteran benefits.
Working hard is part of everyday life. Nothing is earned overnight. Still to this day, I wake up at 6 a.m. for my shift at work to pay for my education and my everyday life. I do not ask for help, I do not ask for handouts. Instead I put my nose to the dirt and earn it. I would not change one thing about how I was raised. How I was pushed to excel in every aspect of life, in working hard, having gumption to achieve, and not having any excuses. There are others like me, but we are a dying breed. I sit back and listen to the television as I do my homework, and hear young adults rallying for not having to work hard. Where is the drive? Where is the character? Do I need to repeat myself? One thing is for certain. If I ever come face to face with someone without that drive, I will beat them. In whatever we are doing, I will outwork them. I will study harder, jump higher, and go farther.
