My wife bought the movie ‘Annie’ for our daughter yesterday. Of course that means it was the first thing on the TV this morning. ‘Annie’ is a classic. I think just about everybody knows at least one of the songs (It’s a hard knock life!). At one point when Annie is at Daddy Warbucks house the dog, Sandy, catches a would be assassin. Annie is stunned that somebody would try and kill Daddy Warbucks and the following dialog ensues:
Annie: Who would want to kill Mr. Warbucks?
Grace: The Bolsheviks, dear. He’s living proof that the American system really works and the Bolsheviks don’t want anyone to know about that.
Annie: The Bolsheviks? Leapin’ lizards!
I had a couple of thoughts after watching this part of the movie.
1. The Bolsheviks aren’t much of a threat to successful Americans these days. Instead we are crippled from our own limitations. It seems that the term ‘The American Dream’ doesn’t have as much luster as it used to. It seems to me that people used to dream bigger. Too many of the generation X’ers and the current generation Y’ers are of the belief that others should provide opportunity for them. Nobody is out there waiting for us to graduate college so they can hand us a $100,000 a year salary. Don’t get me wrong, high paying jobs do exist. I just feel that too many people are waiting for opportunity to find them.
2. The American system really works. This is really an extension of the first thought. There are people making it big today. That could be you. It’s not a matter of rolling the dice, random chance, luck, etc. Go out and create your own opportunity, create your own destiny, live your dreams!
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