Water Pressure

 There are many things in our first-world country that we take for granted, things that our third-world country counterparts are literally dying to have. Things like ensuring security and peace of mind, having a stable roof over your head, knowing that you will have fresh water, not worrying about getting sick from spoiled food, having food to begin with, etc. Frankly, some of these things are not even a given in our first-world country and some people continue to struggle to achieve them. 

Regardless, you catch just a minor glimpse of what these people struggle through even just going from living at home with your parents, even in a lower-middle-class scenario, and beginning your own journey of renting an apartment and saving your money. Some start to learn for the first time, just how expensive it is to exist and they start to get a little downtrodden because they can not afford the extra luxuries they were able to get when they did not have to foot part of the bill for their parents. Others start to realize that cooking and keeping food fresh can be problematic for them. How about keeping your car running? I bet your dad probably did most of that work for you huh? And you absent-mindedly just drove it around, not realizing you needed to fill the window wash fluid or get your oil changed. My own downfall has mostly been how much I miss having water pressure in my shower. Now I am relatively used to LOW water pressure, it goes into effect with most apartment-type scenarios including college dorms. However, I have had next to no water pressure in my new apartment since moving in. After about three minutes the water from the shower head starts coming out as just a trickle instead of, well, a shower. So instead I resort to filling the tub and taking a bath that way. Which gets the job done for the most part but I am sure we can all agree that showers are better for the environment because they generally use less water, as well as, who really likes sitting in a pool of their own filth? Not me, that's for sure.

And yes, I know it is very much a first-world problem; that is why I addressed the larger world issues at the start. However, for me, this is my world, and this is my issue. So thank you for listening.

Rambo out!

Nepo Baby

When I first heard the term "Nepo Baby", I thought it was a term for some type of illness or birth defect that an infant was born with. Which I guess is not completely incorrect? It is something that they are born into, hence the use of the term baby. What it is not, however, is something that the parents are ashamed of such as a cleft pallet.

Nepo is short for nepotism, a word which means to have higher chances of receiving a job over another individual because of having a relative of higher power/influence within an industry or society. 

Nepotism has always existed and will likely continue to exist for a number of centuries in human history. There is no utopian society where there isn't always going to be somebody who considers their son or daughter for a position over an individual who may have better-suited credentials. We even see this in Hallmark movies. There is usually a daughter or son who is given a job at a business shortly after high school, sometimes without any prior educational background, and then within a short duration of time, where they have learned next to nothing about the business practices, is promoted to an executive position of some form. There is usually then a deliberation about how another individual who has been with the business for a significantly longer period of time and has taken the time to get the correct credentials through further education, should have received the position. Then we tend to see a falling out and the more qualified individual quits or faces some other turmoil such as a death in the family and there's a long, drawn-out realization within the son/daughter that they should not have been given the position and it was not what they wanted to do with their life to begin with so they give up the position to the better-qualified employee.

This is not just seen in fictional worlds though. It is commonly seen among childhood actors. Their parents pull strings and get them into careers early on in life because they themselves are in the field and there may be other actors who are better suited for roles or have a wider range of talents. It can also be seen in politics around the globe. Even in small positions such as sales and when somebody is hired in as a manager instead of a sales associate. 

Nepotism is just about everywhere and it is not going anywhere any time soon. All you can do is acknowledge it and if you are the product of nepotism, try to do better.

Pain

I grew up with my dad quoting the motto, "Pain is weakness leaving the body". He made it seem as though pain was a necessity to life and that you could not become a stronger individual without feeling pain. This is not true. Pain is not weakness leaving the body. Pain is a sign that there is something wrong, that something within your bodily system is damaged and hurting. While you may be able to grow from some pains, primarily mental; you can not grow from experiencing all pain. In fact, many pains could be you literally dying. Pain should be a sign for you to seek help. 

But everyone defines pain differently. Everyone has a different pain tolerance. Everyone experiences pain differently. Just as everyone experiences all of life differently. What to me is the same sensation as stubbing my toe, may to you, be the sensation of having your foot crushed by a 100-pound anvil. 

When you begin to feel pain, you need to do whatever you feel is best to resolve that pain. Seek help as you feel necessary. Seek guidance where you feel it is required. Only you can determine these things. And honestly how you determine these things are how you actually grow as a person.

You grow by making decisions for yourself. By making connections with others. By learning about the world around you. By taking chances and failing. Experiencing pain is likely to be a part of this but it is not how you grow.

Pain is weakness leaving the body, but only when you are smart enough to learn from your pain.