Too Much Cake

Everyone is familiar with the old proverb "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The figure of speech is simple, yet it packs a powerful punch: you can't have everything you want. Too often, though, I think message is lost.

In today's American society, we want our cake and we damn sure want to eat it, too. It's apparent in almost every facet of life. Take a look at commercials for weight loss supplements. Are you overweight because you don't eat right and exercise? Don't fix your diet and lifestyle (have the cake), take this pill and shed off those extra pounds to look and feel great (eat the cake).

The latest example of our desire to have everything is the credit squeeze. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, over one million homes have been foreclosed. A house is considered to be foreclosed whenever the price of the house is less than amount a person owes on it. Translation: too many people are taking out loans (have the cake) to purchase homes that are priced beyond their financial means (eat the cake).

Many Americans want to blame the company producing the weight loss supplements or the banks for their problems instead of looking the in mirror. It's much easier and less painful to blame someone else than to accept responsibility for our actions. If we were to blame ourselves for our problems, then we would have to admit our shortcomings and no one wants to do that, right?

Wrong. In life, we're not judged by the mistakes we make. Rather, we're judged for the mistakes we keep making. It never hurts to swallow one's pride and accept the responsibility for our actions. If you maintain an unhealthy lifestyle, than expect to be overweight and self-conscious. If you try to live beyond your means, don't be upset when you're forced to foreclose on your house.

In my opinion, I think the most difficult part of growing up is accepting responsibility for who we are and what we do. No longer do we have our parents to blame or our high school friends or our old boss at work for our misfortunes. Paolo Nutini summed up the idea of growing up well though his lyrics: "Where'd the days go? When all we did was play. And the stress that we were under wasn't stress at all. Just a run and a jump into a harmless fall."

Don't get me wrong, I think growing up is a painful process. However, it is one that must be done. Who wants grow up, find a job and pay bills? No one. But as I'm learning, it doesn't have to be so bad.

Salute!