The Good Life

In conversation about a year ago, I asked a young man what his career goal is & he answered, with a big smile and a small shrug, "Maybe I win the lottery."

It bothered me a little bit -- nagging around the edges of my consciousness -- because the answer I anticipated would have been something along the lines of, "To become a supervisor, and then a manager," or
"To further my education" or
"To go to law school" or
"To start my own business" or
to --
I don't know...some kind of an idea where the kid would have a plan / goal / dream / whatever that involved Making Good In Life by working hard at something for which he has enthusiasm.

It seemed like that wasn't on the "radar screen" of his awareness.
And -- I'm NOT criticizing this tall, strong, smiling guy, not at all -- what bothered me about it -- and I could not forget the conversation -- what was bugging me was, that in his generation he seemed to have no concept of the idea / promise / hope / belief that I grew up with (which I THOUGHT everybody else in America was still growing up with) -- the
Thing
that says, "If you work hard, use your talents, and apply your enthusiasm, you can succeed."
...to be continued
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