The Failure of Society

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Article by Wendy McCance

I have been thinking about an incident that happened yesterday.  It really got me thinking about what has become of our society.  My husband and I went to a funeral yesterday.  The funeral was scheduled for 11:30am.  There were 3 calls that morning for my husband from his company because of problems with machines.  The people calling wanted my husband to do some troubleshooting for them over the phone to see if these problems could be solved.  On the drive to the funeral, a fourth call came in.  My husband told the caller from his company that he was on his way to the funeral and that he couldn’t talk right now.  The person on the other end said, “oh good” and continued on with their conversation.  I was dumbfounded.  You have to understand that my husband doesn’t have a corporate position at this company.  He makes half the money that he made when working at the auto plant on the line.  None of these callers apologized for the intrusion.  No one gave their condolences.

What the heck is happening to our society.  These days finding a job is tough.  Finding a job that pays a decent wage is tougher.  Finding a job where the company has a heart and doesn’t act as though they own you is unheard of.  These companies know they have the upper hand.  They know how hard finding a job is.  They play the game of trying to get someone to work for them for the least amount possible while taking advantage of your time because quite frankly, where else are you going to find a paycheck.  My husband wasn’t paid for his time helping his company yesterday.  There was no embarrassment from interrupting a sacred day.  There was no sympathy or kind words.

Later in the day I read an article about the disgust military personal have when they come back from their tour of duty and see people acting rude and self-serving.  Complaining about waiting in a line or being inconvenienced because an order at the local coffee shop made a mistake with their order.  These men and woman feel that we have no idea how much worse life can be and they are right.  There is no gratitude for what we have.  The idea of enjoying the simple pleasures of a life that is full of freedom, little violence and endless possibilities regarding what you can do with your life are simply lost on these people.

I hope that in reading this blog, you will take a moment to feel grateful for what you DO have.  Trust me, no matter how bad things might be, they are worse in some other countries to a magnitude that we can’t even fathom.

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 6 local papers online, including the Oakland Press.The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

5 thoughts on “The Failure of Society

  1. It is sad the state we are in now. Granted I am not a fan of what unions have become, but at the same time the way most companies treat employees now is not much better. It seems there is no middle road where you can work in a place and earn enough to survive and thrive.

    • I agree. I think a lot of people have gotten fed up and are trying to find a way to make it on their own. People have so many skills that are marketable, it’s just finding what you are good at and being brave enough to take the leap.

  2. Hi Kaye,
    Thanks so much for your comment. I had worked at an auto plant for 7 years. I know exactly what you mean about taking the union for granted. I got one heck of a rude awakening when the plant closed and I had to look for a new job. I hope things turn around and we see a little more compassion between companies and the employees who work for them.

  3. I agree, do you think there’s anything we can do to make it better? Unions are so weak now because the work environment was better before the recession and we all got lazy and believed we didn’t need them. I only say this, because I feel like unions are going to have to get strong again so we can once again enjoy “grown up pay” and fair treatment in the workplace, bad economy or not.

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