The Rest of Us

Is there not something in this for the rest of us? Those who do not recognize the appraised value of money itself? We who cannot be motivated solely by the chance, or even certainty, of capital gain?

This is not to say I don't understand and appreciate the symbol's many uses. None of us want to return to the days of bartering for every item.

It's just that accumulating it for the sake of doing so - to buy that fourth TV or third car, for instance - is not enough to get me out of bed in the morning. And I like my job. Yet I still have difficulty finding that spark, the ignition that I'm actually making a difference, somehow contributing to the lives of others.

Now what about the millions of lost souls out there? The ones stuck in jobs they cannot stand, stranded in the abyss of apathy, not giving a fuck what happens to themselves, their loved ones, anyone?

Fear of death, illness or communal disdain provides the minimum motivation necessary for most folks. A good many drink themselves into functional oblivion. Still others dissolve under the weight of this void, this lack of purpose, and settle softly to the bottom in the mixture of life.

I see their point plainly: Why trudge through this sham of corporate welfare for an empty award? With so much emphasis on specialization and repetition, it is virtually impossible to find ownership in the resulting products. Without seeing the good that your particular efforts produce, how can you get excited?

And if neither money nor pride inspire you, what will?