I'd always respected Roy Orbison as a musician and I know I heard his life story before. However, I never really thought to much about it. But, this time was different. I'd been looking up ELO on YouTube and stumbled upon the Traveling Willburys which then led me to Roy Orbison. In a way, this search had taken me to the "End of The Line" as far as Roy Orbison.
Anyway, in researching his music, I came across his life story and it was very tragic and sad. Yes, he may have eventually accumulated some wealth and not had to worry about where his next meal came from. However, his life was far from easy. He was born smack dab in The Great Depression with his parents both struggling with employment. He was blessed with a guitar and a gift of music. Though he was talented, it took him a while to get established in the industry. His star gained momentum in the early 60s, but he was hit with marital problems which led to divorce in 1964. He and his first wife, Claudette, had patched things up in late 1965, but this was only a temporary reprieve from downtimes and tragedy in his life. His 1st was killed in a freak accident in June 1966 and in September 1968, his two eldest sons died in fire that burned his house to the ground while he was touring. His star by that that time had been in decline. Eventually, it picked up again and he found new success in the 1980s. He died of a heart attack at age 52. I'd heard his story before but this time it really got my attention and I felt sadness for him and thought, while I've faced adversity, I hadn't had to face losing a spouse and kids and health problems like he had. In a way, though I haven't achieved fame and fortune like had, I hadn't faced some of the tragedy he had. This got me thinking about something I've thought about a lot during my life.
I've long thought that, we in this country, are very fortunate. I have felt some guilt that my want, even in an unnecessarily poor childhood, was still less than need in many other places in the world. Our poor usually are better off than much of the world, especially places like Haiti. I guess it's all perspective. I grew up with less than many/most others in my school and across town and I felt poor, but seeing images of others having to worry about starvation is very humbling. Anyway, I have a few thought on wants and needs in my life, the life of kids in this generation and in the world as a whole.
Ponderings:
- Being around people with "more" can give a distorted picture and can create false 'needs'.
- For example, if the people I see socially, work with, or are related have large homes and live in a very nice neighborhoods, it might create a sense in me that in order to 'fit in', I need to have that as well. In reality, in such a case, I don't 'need' those things, but 'want' them to prevent me from feeling 'inferior'.
- If a kid goes to school and all his friends have nice clothes, nice cars, and nice things including electronics out the wazoo, then the kid will 'need' some of those things to at least be able to 'relate' or 'fit in'. The need, in this case, isn't more nice things but to appreciate that you can't always have every nice thing. The other need is for other parents, with more means, to raise their kids with a healthy respect for others regardless of what others have.
- Getting used to 'luxuries' can make them seem like needs.
- Growing up, I didn't have a microwave oven until I finished college, I didn't AC until I went away to college, I didn't have a dishwasher until I moved into my first apartment, I didn't have a TV with remote or with cable until I was on my own. At the time each of these things seemed like a luxury.
- I am so used to having all of these things that to have them taken away makes them seem like a need that is unmet.
- If you grown up or gotten used to having more, the best way to remind yourself that much of what you have is a luxury is spending time around those who struggle to have basic needs met.
- Our real needs are sometimes masked by purposely or unwittingly by those things we feel are needs.
- If we feel ugly, we may feel like we 'need' to shop for clothes. In other words, substitute an outfit to deal with insecurity.
- If we feel sad, we may feel a 'need' for the latest electronic or other gadget to distract us.
- Often times what we really need is not more 'things' but instead peace and serenity.
I don't know if I broke any new ground here, but I felt compelled to write this blog post. Kids today seem to not appreciate what they have and when I remind them growing up how we did with less, it doesn't impact them. I forget that its hard to relate to having less when you never have. In a way, I feel like it is hard to relate to those in the world who do have less and are in real need unless you actually see them with less. That's why I titled this post as I did. Anyway, hopefully, others can relate or get something out of this post.
