Forbes just posted it's latest list of "richest people in the world." I wouldn't mind being wealthy, but would rather not be on that particular list. Too many responsibilities. Once you make that list, people look to you as if you are something special, and can help them be better than they are. Ummm, nope. It just means you worked hard, or found a niche that needed filling, or were extremely lucky. In some cases, it may mean you are very intelligent, but that alone doesn't guarantee you can help anyone else by your acumen. If I ever achieve great material wealth, it will be by one of the above methods, but it will be aimed towards making the lives of the people I care about better...NOT to enhance the existence of people I don't have a connection with. I was appalled when I read stories of how some people, when they won the lottery, were receiving letters that were simply addressed, "Lottery winner", that demanded all varieties of cash awards for sob-story bullshit...or explicit photos promising great delights...or emotional blackmail in a chain-letter-type potential curse. I'm fairly immune to such entreaties, but most are not. Wealth is a blessing or a curse, but it entirely rests upon the foundation one had long before wealth became an issue. If I get rich, my first notion is, " My truck needs new brakes." So much for grandiose schemes.

Flashback time! I owe a bit of gratitude to a master sergeant from my air force days. We didn't get along particularly well, but he made a statement once that was very profound and startling. I was making mention of something and used the term "they". His response was," Is that "the great nebulous they", or "the great omnipotent they"? That blew my mind. Who is "they"? Words have meanings. People aren't groups. One must have clear definitions to make clear choices. That simple statement covers practically every politically-correct notion that one can imagine. Boiled down, to me, it means, "say what you mean, mean what you say." Gray areas aren't as gray as they are painted. I like what I like, dislike what I dislike. Everyone has that option. "We", the people, are individuals. "They" are people who disagree with "us", I suppose. "I" am a guy, with likes, dislikes, attitudes and feelings. "You" are also someone with likes, dislikes, attitudes and feelings. The great thing is, with a little effort, "we" can be more than the sum of "our" parts.