My Libertarian Conscience

I know that plenty of people have already taken a survey shortly after the election. Now that the new administration is here, albeit not completely due to slogging through the confirmation process of the cabinet, it is time to find out more about those who participated in that crucial process in November.

This is especially true for those who voted against Donald Trump.

I want to know and understand more about the demographics of those who voted. Regardless of how you voted, you are welcome to participate.

I remember seeing something shared on social media where a giant rant regarding money ensued. The identity of the author is not relevant, but their message is.

For so long, those who are better off financially try to offer advice to those who aren’t, yet it is shunned.

Part of the reason why is that when somebody is on a shoestring budget in their lives, $5 to $100 can make all the difference. For instance, a $10 pair of shoes may seem like a good option at the time, but many of us know that going for higher quality may have better value.

At the same time, expenses like utility bills come under consideration, so that $40 to $60 pair of shoes is out of the question.

Now don’t get me wrong. There are times when making decisions that sound stupid on the surface actually wind up making sense. A small contractor can take advantage of a check cashing store to get money faster than by going to a bank, thus allowing them to have faster access to supplies and labor for any job.

So when asking why there are so many who are poor, one of the things that we fail at is not so much talking to them but rather listening to them.

Remember the scenario in which a higher quality pair of shoes was out of the question due to that shoe string budget? What if two pairs of those cheap shoes were purchased instead? That individual would then be able to alternate between the two and both would last twice as long due to sustaining less wear and tear over time.

As one who has had to replace shoes every six months, I know what sticking to one pair can do; fortunately I am no longer in retail, so wear and tear won’t be as much of an issue for me.

With that said, we need to remember that price is not everything, and that long term thinking does need to be applied.

It can be difficult if you aren’t allowed the breathing room necessary to think long term, which is why I am asking the question. Feel free to answer any way you like and by all means share this as far and wide as possible.

There is no way to build a wall over an entire river. It’s not feasible, and it will cost taxpayers billions.

As I was driving home from work after midnight Friday, I had to slow down due to the fog. How fitting that such weather would come before the inauguration later that day.

There’s always that moment of uncertainty, especially with the new President of the United States.

Now more than ever, we live in times that are interesting to say the least. For those who feel angry, scared, and powerless, I feel for you.

I also do not trust Donald Trump.

I read an interesting essay in which it was argued that utilizing the concept of spirit animals was cultural appropriation. Thankfully the essay included arguments from more than one perspective. In the end, the author believes that adapting the concept of spirit animals is appropriating culture and is an act of suppression against Native American culture.

Like abortion, I believe that those on both sides of the fence bring valid points but they hang around the wrong fence.

The issue with accusing others of suppressing or harming specific portions of the world’s population through a variety of actions, whether it’s eating food or any form of expression, is that it comes off as guilt tripping. To imply that taking a portion of culture and incorporating it into one’s daily existence is a form of taking spoils from an enemy during war is to build a wall around different portions of that same population that occupies the same planet.

In other words, it’s actually dealing a blow to multiculturalism by eliminating the melting pot.

If it weren’t for others taking portions of another’s culture and adapting it to their own, we wouldn’t have many of the things that we have today. We wouldn’t have anime for example.

Anime was the result of a Japanese artist being inspired by the creations of Walt Disney himself.

If it weren’t for blending of aspects of culture, we wouldn’t have the Internet as we know it nor would it be ever expanding around the world. We also wouldn’t have a a global video game market.

In reality, so called cultural “appropriation” is not the real problem in and of itself but rather the false implications in and of itself.

Such implication provides the perspective that we are not allowed to mix and match lest we insult the original culture. However, none of us live in a vacuum. All of us have borrowed things from others due to inspiration as opposed to wanting to mock and demean.

We forget that context and intent is important.

I myself am not opposed to cultural blending as it can cause walls and barriers to crumble and for understanding and acceptance to occur. If somebody is doing it to mock or make fun of a particular culture, then by all means call them on it.

Opportunities came into my life, and I took advantage of them. I learned some new skills that would come to serve me well in the coming year.

Let’s just say office work is something I enjoy.

With that said, I want to take the time to say that some crazy things have happened. Someone was elected President of the United States, and it felt like it wasn’t supposed to happen.

I hope it turns out for the best, but we’ll see.

As for the celebrities dying, that wasn’t cool. All of the things that could scare us or upset us happened. 2016, it’s not me.

It’s you.

We must part ways in a few minutes, but know that 2017 will be the year of rediscovering ourselves.

I’ve covered this with a podcast episode. In life, one has nothing but time. Like energy, it can neither be created nor destroyed.

It just keeps moving, and once a moment passes, it can not be retrieved.

On the other hand, new moments and opportunities can arise at any point in time. That is why I put in my official notice with my old employer, Walmart. I am grateful for being a part of that company for 10 years.

Unfortunately, retail in general is high stress.

I came to the point where I asked myself, “What in the world am I doing to myself?!” I had already applied for a new job and I am waiting on a day to start.

It was the best opportunity to give ample notice so that they don’t scramble to replace me.

There have been ups and downs throughout my time in retail. One of my fondest memories was being stuck on a register on one Black Friday. The back to back transactions was one of the fondest memories I’ll ever have.

That type of excitement has faded in recent years, and I don’t like the idea of being miserable where I’m at.

I also don’t care for the idea of not being enthusiastic about the other things that I am passionate about due to having my energy drained by a job that entails a lot of stress.  Instead of working 10 pm until 7 am the next day, I’ll be working from late afternoon until midnight.

I’ll be off most Saturdays and all Sundays.

My schedule will be normalized, meaning I’ll be able to wake up while the sun is shining and go to bed at night (for the most part). This means I’ll have so much extra time to do the things I’ve been wanting to do.

One of them is working on this website as well as writing in general.

Other projects include making my home network more sophisticated and sharing my experience with everyone else. It also means bugging Tumblr to support SSL encryption with third party domain names, because I also value the privacy of those who visit.

My final shift as an overnight cashier will be on the 16th, so when I clock out at 7 am on the 17th, I’ll be officially finished as a Walmart Associate.