When the Government Checks Stop Coming

I sympathize with restaurant owners (especially mom & pops), waste management, and other industries affected by the current employment deficit. But I’d like to ask a few questions that may help us see things from a different perspective rather than signing people off as lazy-do-nothings.

If people pursued passions vs. mediocre meantime pursuits, would so many be more willing to stay home?

If we lived in a culture that encouraged learning and expanding rather than settling, would so many be more willing to stay home?

If salaries were competitive across these industries, would so many people be more willing to stay home?

If most people were respected and encouraged in the workplace, would so many be more willing to stay home?

Though I’m sure there is a percentage of folks just sitting on their asses, and in truth, I still can’t blame them because this country doesn’t value vacation time (or work-life balance) like other advanced nations, I bet others are pursuing passions and things they put off for years.

In the midst of all this, many representatives still do not believe $15/hour is a fair wage. They say it’s liberal propaganda or that most Americans just aren’t working hard enough (like their granddaddy did in 1906 when he made $4/hour as if inflation is a joke).

Ultimately, all I’m saying is: it does suck that some places are going under and that waste isn’t getting picked up on time, etc. But this current condition is signaling that there may be a more significant issue at hand. Let’s ask more questions instead of passing judgment.

Maybe we can make a mutually beneficial cultural shift once the government checks stop coming.

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Previously Published on medium

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