[quote=desmond]One thing that I have seen change over the years as a native Californian is the old “California laidback lifestyle” has long been forgotten even as a cliche. If you lay back in CA you will be trounced and passed over by the millions that have ended up here. CA is still a great place to live, is it worth working so hard you rarely get to enjoy it? I think it is better to actually be able to enjoy things in life without working ourselves to death in the short time that we are here.[/quote]
Desmond,
The issue though really isn’t just california. It’s the entire world.
* The entire world is smaller, it’s inherently more competitive, competing for resources… Twenty years ago, globalization wasn’t nearly as pronounced as it was before. Now people here compete not only with each other but abroad.
* In the U.S., while a lot of innovation still is happening and going to happen, the opportunities that are available these days to our younger generation are far fewer than probably your generation (I’m assuming you’re baby boomer or more..Sorry, but you said you had a kid that already graduated and working)…A lot of the stuff invented/assumed is from big corporations because they control the means and inventions and with deep pockets to both governements and W.S. to secure funding and legal teams to rightfully or wrongfully defend/squash ideas.
A kid born these days, call it a silver spoon or what not… These days, if you’re kids aren’t born with a significant financial seed, it’s really tough for them to make it on their own… I don’t consider my household poor, but I do need to watch where my money goes. Although my parents gave me a huge seed, I don’t have a trust fund or inheritance of money/resources to tap into that can allow me to kick back and do nothing.. Not saying there’s anything wrong with it, or that it’s something that I want… It’s just how it is…So I have different starting point that someone else. The saying that you need money to make money is true, especially in this country at this particular time, and depending on social/economic/cultural demographics, a lot of the outcome depends on, well timing, effort, and luck….
* We as a society have gotten more spoiled and want to spend more of our money on resources/things we really don’t need beyond the basic necessities of life. So as a result, we are slaves to the new materialism…Especially in Southern California.
