At the desk, 8:47 a.m.
One of my mother's schizophrenic delusions was that people were always trying to take, steal, or otherwise relieve her of her... hair brush, telephone, car keys,child, pencil, creative work, money, ideas, hair clip, shoes (especially shoes), and... whatever else you might be looking for. Whenever something when missing, which was fairly common in our chaotic household, someone had stolen it from her personally. The rage started, the tears, and when the favorite pen was found under the couch, the most likely suspect who stole and then hid the pen, usually me, was punished.
Everyone was (and is) out to get her, to steal from her that which is most precious (at any given time). She lived locked in a battle between the natural need for another human being and the absolute certainty that they were only there to take from her. Mental health professionals call this by the polite term "Paranoia." For me, it was just life in my childhood home.
In my adult life, this major imprint from my childhood has translated into the word "stealers". We routinely talk about these "stealers" who take whatever it is that we misplaced. The husband will brandish his fist in the air and yell "STEALERS!" and we will laugh. (As an aside, the stealers who come to our household tend to take my glasses. I'm not sure what their fondness for my glasses is, but when I catch them, I'll be sure to ask.)
We live in a time of great paranoia.
Writers don't want to share their work for fear of missing someone taking it or worse, losing out on a big payday.
The wealthy don't want to support the social services they use - police, good roads, lights, public schools, military - for fear that someone will take their wealth away from them.
Small businesses are terrified they will be driven out of business by having to purchase health care for their employees.
In our paranoia, we miss out on the synergistic energy that dynamically stimulates our world to greater, more innovative heights.
What do I mean?
Writers who share their work tend to be more confident, share more, write more and, in turn, achieve more. (Ex, Cory Doctorow and well, me!)
People who share their wealth, such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, are happier, more optimistic, and in turn create better, simpler solutions which improve the health and well being of our world.
And small businesses? You honestly think Whole Foods and Starbucks provide quality health insurance for their employees because it's bad business?? Healthy employees are happier, more innovative, take less sick days, and stay longer. There's nothing better for your business than the simple act of helping your employees get insured.
Our world needs our synergy, now more than ever. The challenges that are on our plate as a young nation are daunting. There's never been a nation in the situation the United States currently find herself in. Never.
The idea of our democracy was remains so new, so foreign, that every day we live with it, we break new ground. We need to each other, together, to figure out what's going to happen next.
So, the next time someone says to you, "Someone will steal your work, your business, or whatever else" I challenge you to raise your fist into the air and yell "STEALERS!"
Let's let go of the paranoia and get back to the business of making this world a better place. #INDIVISIBLE
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