I originally wrote this in the 80's on my Selectric typewriter. I'm dejunking (watching "Hoarders" is productive in that it moves us all to clean out our files now and then).
I'm a very special person. My Grandmother told me so, thus it must be true. She told me that I'm also very lucky, so I must believe that as well. She says I was lucky to have been born in the United States of America because bad things happen in other parts of the world.
"But Grandmother, doesn't anything bad ever happen in the United States of America?"
"Yes, sometimes bad things happen. There are bad people everywhere. But in America we have freedom, and freedom is the most important thing in the world to have."
"I have to pick up my toys whether I want to or not."
"There's a difference between duty and freedom." explained Grandmother. "It is our duty to preserve freedom. It is our duty to give people the freedom to be themselves."
"How could people not be themselves?" I asked.
"Some people think we should give poor people things so they won't have to do without."
"That's a nice thing to do. What's wrong with that?" I asked.
"If you give people charity, the people will think you don't have faith in their ability to do for themselves. When you give them charity you take away their pride." said Grandmother.
"What is pride, Grandmother?"
"Pride is Joy. Pride is satisfaction, happiness, pride is dignity and self-respect."
"Grandad's horses are Pride and Joy!"
"Just think how Grandad wouldn't be able to work if you took away Pride and Joy. It's the same with the poor people. You can't give them charity without taking their ability to work. If you take away their Pride and Joy, they have no dignity. They become slaves to those who do for them what they should be doing for themselves."
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