Why Do We Get Stuck In The Rat Race?

This week, someone I know was administered into the hospital and I went to visit him.

There, I see many frail and old people.

Tubes and needles being inserted into them... It's a really saddening sight.

I think it's something people of my age don't really get to see often.

It's something we don't think about because we still have our youth and health.

...

I imagined the day when I would be lying down on one of these bed, looking back at what I have achieved.

When we were young, we were processed through the system to study. When we reached our 20s, we put off plans to pursue our interests to get into higher paying jobs. In our 30s or 40s, we delay plans to travel the world in order to build our families, to pay off our housing loans.

And then we continue to put off plans to pay for our kids university, to buy a bigger house, a bigger car, etc...

Before you knew it, we would be in our 60s.

By then, we would have lost most of our health and energy.

Do we really want a life where we only live to pursue more and more zeroes in our bank account? Or is this just some plan to enrich other people? Other people who created this "system" who made us think this is a normal life?

For me, I know when I will have enough.

Enough that I can tell myself: I won't be a burden to society or anyone. I can feed myself and live in contentment. And I will know it's time to quit the race.

"How in the hell could a man enjoy being awakened at 6:30am by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, dress, force-feed, shit, piss, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so?" - Charles Bukowski