Thursday, May 10, 2007

On Winning The Genetic Jackpot


I like to think I have achieved a lot in a short period of time. I make in one year what it look my parents two working multiple jobs. I have a lovely home, which I designed from scratch. A beautiful wife. Great kid. I have built a business from nothing that affords our family an upper middle class lifestyle, if not better. We spend money with reckless abandon. We blow more money on renting shitty movies than 50% of the population get in a week to live on. I have access to the finest doctors in the world, and with their talents I'll live for another 50 years without too much effort. I even have the health insurance to cover most of it!

I take a lot of pride in what I have achieved, and I've worked hard to get there. That said, much of what I have comes from a few details that I had nothing to do with:

  1. I have white skin


  2. I have a penis


  3. I happened to have been born not only in the United States, but in Eastern New England within spitting distance of Boston and Manhattan.


  4. I'm no George Clooney, but I'm not hard on the eyeballs either.


I'm at the top of the top of the food chain, baby!! Crank up the Led Zeppelin and get me another ice cold Diet Coke!

I'm not feeling any guilt about the fact that I hit the genetic jackpot when it comes to living the good life in the 21st century. I'm loving the fact I have the basic tools needed to easily achieve anything I want in the current social/economic game. Hell, if I wasn't born a Jew and short, I might have a better than decent shot at being President. I use the above "details" I was given every day, even if I don't realize it. At the gas station. Talking to a cop. Getting a loan. Service at a restaurant. Forgetting to vote last Tuesday. Having enough spare time in my life to contemplate introspective bullshit about my good fortune.

It's good to be large and in charge, but I think it was Spider-Man's Uncle Ben who said "With great power comes great responsibility."

I knew there'd be a catch. Dammit!







No comments: