Money Isn't Everything

Back when my son was in nursery school I had a philosophical debate with Cindy Hibberts, his very wonderful, if misguided, teacher. She insisted that each child have the same amount of time riding the one little tricycle available during recess. One day a youngster was happily tooling around the playground when suddenly Cindy clapped her hands loudly and yelled out, "Okay Will, get off the bike now, it's Julia's turn." Naturally Will, being only three, began to cry, and with good reason: he was having such a good time! I asked Cindy why he had to stop when Julia could always do something else, like climb on the monkey bars or play in the sandbox. "No, everyone gets five minutes on the bike, that's it. His time is up," Cindy insisted, adding, "otherwise it wouldn't be fair." But life isn't like that, I argued. "It is here," she replied, carefully counting out one juice box, three cookies and five apple slices for each child's snack.

Soon enough I was having to explain to my son why that kid had a better bike or another kid won the spelling bee or why we weren't going skiing in Aspen over Christmas break. By the time he was in third grade, Zack had pretty much figured out that life isn't fair, despite all that phony-baloney nonsense at the start. Not everyone has been so insightful, most especially all those kids camping out at all the Occupy Wall Street playgrounds dotting the country. They're stuck with nursery school thinking. In fact, many adults did not get the memo that LIFE IS NOT FAIR and that some people have more than others. What's odd is that the public outrage concerning this cold, hard fact centers only on wealth, when the unfairness permeates other areas as well.

The truth of this hit me in the face last night while watching a TV interview with singer Harry Connick, Jr.  Not only is Connick extremely handsome and extraordinarily talented, but he's been happily married for almost 20 years to a former Victoria's Secret supermodel. Together they have three beautiful daughters, none of whom were born with spina bifida or cerebral palsy or Tay-Sachs or learning disorders or fatal flaws of any kind. They all live in a fabulous home in a pastoral Connecticut suburb, splitting their time between a nurturing family life and flying around the world to all sorts of exciting events. Harry works tirelessly for charity and since Hurricane Katrina has devoted himself to rebuilding his native city of New Orleans, where he grew up under the loving guidance of his father, the District Attorney, and his mother, a federal judge. Harry seems quite intelligent and has a great sense of humor, and besides singing he has acted in many movies and on TV.  Oh yeah, he is also extremely rich.

Now, think of a poor, fatherless child born with fetal-alcohol syndrome into an inner-city ghetto to an ugly, meth-addicted mother, living in a rat-and-roach-infested hole in the wall in a burned-out slum. Why just ask the government for money and health insurance--how about looks and talent and brains? Why not demand that Congress make everyone beautiful? Cosmetic surgery for all! Diet and exercise programs for the fat and out of shape! Free rehab for drug addiction! Tutors for dummies! Fix up my house! Make my sister smart and not nuts! In fact, I always wanted a brother...give me one!

Come on people, fair is fair.