At the End of the Line

You know the kid in school who was nice but kinda shy and never had many friends? The kid who would hang back and let the others push their way onto the bus for a field trip so they'd be sure to sit with their friends and then get stuck sitting with the teacher? The kid who, when he grew up a little, always thought it would pay off in the end to do the extra work instead of doing just enough to get by? Well I have news for that kid. Life doesn't work that way. There is no reward for staying out of the limelight and toiling away in hopes that someday you'll be recognized for all your hard work. And those kids who pushed their way ahead of you all those years? They're still ahead of you and always will be. They'll be better off financially, more secure emotionally, and in control of exactly what they want to get out of life. They will come to own you.
My advice...decide early on in life if you want to be first in line or last. Push your way to the front of the popularity crowd if that's what you desire. However, if you don't want to be part of the "in" crowd then you'd better have a concrete plan for your life, something you're going to stick to and follow to the end. Life is not fair, and when you start to think it is then you'd better be ready for a hard fall.

In case you haven't guessed, this has not been a very good week.