MY EMPATHY ONLY GOES SO FAR, AND GETTING MY BLOG BACK ON TRACK

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog or done a podcast.

Life has been busy, and sometimes life flat-out gets the better of you.

Lately, I’ve been learning a hard lesson: my empathy only goes so far for people who refuse to help themselves.

I work two jobs. Three days a week, I work at a nonprofit helping people in need. I’m not going to get too deep into that, but I’ve built relationships there just by talking with people. I handle donations, but I also spend a lot of time having real conversations with the people who come in, and honestly, that experience has taught me a lot.

I do feel bad for people. I really do, but sometimes I also feel like some people put more effort into avoiding work than I put into maintaining two jobs.

There are people genuinely struggling, and I’ll always have compassion for that. Life is expensive. Things happen, and people fall behind. I get it, but there’s also a point where you have to be honest with yourself. If you’re living a lifestyle your paycheck can’t support, then something has to change. At some point, you have to reevaluate how you’re living your life.

It comes down to living within your means.

That may sound harsh, but it’s reality.

I’ve said before that back in my college years, when I worked at a pizza shop, I’d run deliveries when things got really busy. One thing I noticed back then was that I sometimes got better tips at trailer parks than I did at huge houses. That stuck with me. People love to assume who has money and who doesn’t, but appearances can be deceiving.

Just because somebody is posting pictures from a fancy vacation doesn’t mean they can actually afford that vacation.

Social media is a highlight reel. It is not real life.

Too many people are comparing their everyday struggles to somebody else’s life. We spend way too much energy worrying about how everyone else is living, posting, spending, and pretending, when most of us would be better off just minding our own business and handling our own finances.

Yeah, I know I get political sometimes. I’ve been trying to do a little better with that, or at least be more measured about it. I definitely lean left, mostly because I think Donald Trump and the whole MAGA movement are an embarrassment to this country, and I’m not backing off that opinion.

At the same time, I do have some conservative values too, especially when it comes to personal responsibility. I have a hard time with people who constantly complain about not being able to afford their bills while refusing to pick up more work, cut expenses, or make any real change. You can only help someone so much if they refuse to help themselves.

That doesn’t make me heartless. It makes me honest.

Life has been hectic for me lately between working two jobs, trying to maintain this blog, and keeping up with social media. Some days it feels like I just need a few more hours in the day so I can get some proper sleep.

I do plan on getting back to podcasting sooner rather than later. I’ve even thought about doing a video version for YouTube. We’ll see how that goes. Not that anyone will probably watch or listen anyway, but stranger things have happened.

For now, I just wanted to write something real.

I’m still working. I’m still observing. I’m still forming opinions, and I’m still going to say what I think, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.

I’m planning to get back to blogging at least three days a week soon.

So here’s to getting back on track.

Hope everybody is staying safe.