My Dad always says that there are 3 types of decisions in life: The wants, The needs & The things you just gotta have. A pedicure is a want. Groceries are needs. Medication to treat an unexpected illness is a Gotta Have. Whenever I’m facing a huge purchase, or even a tiny purchase when I only have a few coins, I ask myself which category does the thing belong to.
Do I need this? Do I really want it? Do I have to have it, right now? A lot of bullets have been dodged by following this philosophy. Thanks Dad. Ultimately, I understand that I don’t have to do and own every possible thing, and I will still survive! Fomo, or the Fear of Missing Out is a real thing. So many folks are attending events and buying things just so they don’t feel left out when others do the same. So many wedding planners are making big bank these days because Susie’s wedding must be bigger than Nancy’s. The world thrives on competition. It’s human nature.
Where there is competition, jealousy brews.
The whole purpose of competition is to finish before another, or come out on top, known as the best. The average human being is starved for attention. Newborn babies and infants receive a substantial amount of affection, but that soon wears off as the child grows. Yes, there are some cases where that nurturing and affection continues, but more times than not, the baby is weaned off the breast, sent to school and told to grow up. Talents go uncelebrated and accomplishments go unnoticed. Mothers and Fathers get so busy taking care of the home that they neglect both each other and the emotional needs of their offspring. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s a cycle that dates back centuries. Humans are so busy achieving and competing with things outside our homes and our own selves and we have forgotten to give our time and energy to the things closest to us. Those are the things that want us, need us and gotta have us.
As much as I have enjoyed, at least momentarily, the boyfriends and lovers of my past. If asked to trade them for quality time with my Father and adoration from Him, I would have. I can say this now thanks to wisdom and growth, but looking back I can see how every romantic relationship I gave myself to was a placeholder for what I wish my father gave me. My father has always been busy providing though. I don’t fault him for this. It’s what he was taught. He had a family that needed to be fed, clothed and housed. That’s where his focus was. Would some balance have been nice? Sure, but he did what was necessary.
In a perfect world, all children are given the nurturing and affection they need and they grow into adults who offer the same. In a perfect world, there would be more organizations set up to help citizens repair their credit, get in shape, and receive mental healthcare at no charge. Instead, services that truly help individuals are few and far in between. They’re hard to find and even harder to qualify for. Not everyone in need is homeless. Not everyone who’s homeless is ignorant, addicted or mentally ill. Our nation would have us believe that we’re on our own for the most part, and I guess we are. The news is more interested in President’s Trump’s sex life & Michelle Obama’s new book than they are with child suicide, divorce rates and hunger on our own soil.
The focus is off! Doesn’t anyone care about our wants, needs or what we gotta have? We want true freedom and real rights. We need to be loved and free to love. We gotta have housing, education, and sustainability. While I recognize that it is not the media’s job to take care of the citizens, I do believe the media should stop directing us toward a bottomless pit. No, the networks won’t pay our bills and nobody makes us watch tv, but when we tune in, it shouldn’t further damage and discourage us. We should be on each other’s side. Instead, everyone is posting and tweeting their every move in attempt to show someone else up.
Everybody wants to be first. Everybody wants the medal. I’m sick of it.
Lately I have this fierce anger rising up in my spirit. I’m not mad at anyone, but I’m upset that no one else is upset. We are the most distracted generation of human beings in history. We’re plugged in to everything but God. We trust everybody but God. We offer praise and adoration to everything but GOD. No wonder we’re in such a mess.
I’ve had money – not millions, but I know what it’s like to not be worried about finances. I’ve had relationships. I know how not to be alone. I’ve had experiences. I’ve seen stuff. I’ve done stuff. I’ve purchased stuff. I also know what it’s like to give it all up. There have been times I’ve looked in my closet and saw empty spaces because I had given everything away. Somehow, that same closet continues to refill. There have been days where my freezer was empty because I gave to a family in need and yet, I haven’t ever gone to bed hungry. I know the fear of missing out. It raised me, but now that I am wiser and much more humble, I understand that life isn’t about all the glitter and glamour. I am grateful for a God who teaches me to consider others. I am Thankful that God not only loves me, but He loves my country. He will provide for me and everything around me also. I am grateful for life and I vow to use it to share what God gives to me with whomever will receive.
I want God. I need God. I gotta have God.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I genuinely hope our nation begins to realize how desperately we all need God, before it’s too late. He’s willing & able, but will you come?
I digress.
I am Eryka
Eryka I AM 