Selfish?

Dinner with six adults, two teenagers and seven kids eleven and under – that’s fifteen in all. There was two pans of lasagna – stacks of garlic bread, bread sticks, green beans and ceasar salad. I guess I should have known it wasn't going to be a normal meal when the four-year old that blessed the food prayed that we would be able to go to Disneyland. Ashley took a heaping helping of salad, it probably wasn’t half of it - but it looked like it. I questioned her on it –“excuse me there are a lot of people that want salad, you don’t have to be so selfish!” She answered – “I’m not trying to be selfish, I just wanted it.” Is taking more than you need or more than your fair share selfish, or is it just taking care of your wants or perceived needs? That’s a stupid question; I guess those that are selfish or self-centered don’t see it that way. Latrell Sprewell a professional basketball player was offended when his team offered to resign him for only eleven million dollars a year – after he had been making more the year before. I think in his explanation he stated that he “wouldn’t be able to feed his family.” Now if I had to feed the group I mentioned for every meal and we had steak, lobster – what in the heck are they eating? “Bernard Madoff, the author of the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, told inmates at the Butner prison where he is serving his 150 years jail sentence that his victims deserved what happened to them, because they were rich and greedy, according to an article in New York Magazine. One evening a fellow prisoner kept asking Madoff about the victims of his $65 billion scheme and Madoff, angered, said: (blank) my victims. I carried them for twenty years, and now I'm doing 150 years." (CNBC.com 6/7/2010) Madoff – what a great name for a scammer, he “made off” with a lot of other peoples money. I guess it’s not selfish if you think your entitled or those that suffer deserved it. But who gets to be the judge – those that check your kids height, weight and write them a prescription now and then are ten times more important than those that teach them to read. At least you would think so if you checked their pay stubs. Boy - I’m being a lot more political than normal. When it comes to our children, each of them seem to have a different opinion of what they are entitled too. Some don’t ask for much when others seem to have their hand out while the other one is in my back pocket. Now I shouldn’t be throwing the first stone – I think about what’s best for me before those around me all the time – I definitely have more pity parties than birthday parties and that includes all of my families as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we should stop once in a while and think of how our actions affect those around us. I’m sure not all of Madoff’s victims could afford to lose their money. All I know is that the lasagna was great - but I didn’t get any salad!