Life's Not Fair

People have always told me "life's not fair." From my early years up to today, I have heard that.

But we all have a choice. We can try to make things fairer for all, or to take advantage of the unfairness and use it for selfish reasons.  The choice is a significant one.  It defines the person.

So sure, life's not fair, but it is because as a society we have chosen that route. We could make it a more level playing field, with better referees and balls that aren't deflated and body weights more evenly matched.

We don't do that, though. We allow the big dude to run over the little guy on the high school field, just like we do in life. And some people laugh about it. Look at the bully, ha ha. I turn my head in shame.

Thoughtful dialogue is a thing of the past. If it weren't, perhaps we could have a discussion about this among the halls of our government, but since we've all apparently bought into the dictum that "life's not fair," nobody wants to do anything to change it.

So what is not fair?

It's not fair that we have the great income equality in this country that we do. It's not fair for any CEO to earn massive amounts while the employees can't pay the rent. That is a choice someone made, to overpay a "leader" and leave lesser amounts for the underlings.

It's not fair that women are considered chattel, and that their bodies are not their own, essentially make then "less than" and not a person.

It's not fair to attack people you don't know simply because you can.

It's not fair to create expectations of fairness when you know that society has set it up so that fairness will never exist.

It's not fair that justice now serves the wealthy and diminishes the poor.

It's not fair that corporations pay less tax than individuals.

And on and on . . . yes, the world is not fair. But this unfair world is a world made thusly by our choices, and the choices of those with power, and yes, the choices of those without power. And there are some who say why of course, it's all a choice, and if I'm the cream that rises to the top while you're sour milk, that was your choice and obviously you made bad ones. But the choices of some are greater than the choices of others, and the limits of humanity vary by individual. Does that mean we should not help our brothers and sisters? Who are we to proclaim ourselves king of our little castle and watch others wilt away?

I feel keenly the choices I have made. Some of them have been good, some have been bad. Some were choices I had no control over - it was either do one thing (have surgery, for example) or die. So of course you choose to live when you're confronted with that basest of choice.

But on other levels, the choices are many. Just standing in line offers you a plethora of choices. Do you talk to the other people in line? Do you smile? Do you read a magazine or text on your cell phone? Do you grumble and complain? Do you compliment the check-out clerk, or curse her for being slow? Do you chose the fair and kind action? Or do you push, shove, curse, and complain?

So life's not fair. Can't we try to make it just a little more fair, every where we go?