On the way back to work from the bank today I saw a license plate from Alaska. Apart from being irked that nobody was in the car to hit for the out of state plate, I was kinda stoked that I have now seen an Alaskan plate. You see plates from all over, here in California, but rarely those from far off places like Hawai’i or Alaska.
This particular plate (pauses to say that 5 times fast, and succeeds) depicted a line of people climbing an ice covered mountain, with the caption “The Gold Rush.” Even though it’s a comedy, the movie by Chaplin with the same name makes me wonder about the sanity of our ancestors. Back then, there weren’t any get rich quick schemes like we have today. No pyramids. No envelopes to be stuffed from the comforts of your own home. No, these hard asses packed up all their belongings in the world, put them in a wagon, and went into the wilderness to brave the elements, wild animals, thieves, natives, and a lack of medical attention. Whenever I think of traveling across country bak then I always think of the Oregon Trail for the PC. Daughters dying, horses drowning… no mouring, just a big smile if you make it to the end in one piece and alive yourself.
Those Alaskan Gold Rushers were by far the craziest, I’d think. At least people heading for California knew that even if they didn’t find gold, the economy was booming because of those that did have it, and spent it. Not Alaskans, oh no… these crazy sum-bitches went out into the cold, that may very well kill them, to ty and claim a stake, which might not be available, and mine for gold, which might not be there. You know, I think I’d rather just try and make a living in the plains or even set up a shop and make a decent living without having to eat my shoe.
Now that the claims are staked, the land is all claimed, the Rush is over, and the gold is found we have new crazies trying to get ehir money, only now everybody is trying to get it from one another. Instead of finding it for yourself, you have to figure out how to get everyone else’s from them. When I was working for Earthlink they focused their dial up connection sales around customer loyalty. As most people already have dial up, the focus was on a) keeping the customers we already had, and b) enticing people with other dial up services to switch.
I urge you all, go find your own gold. Nevermind what other people have, or what riches lie in those hills, you find what is most precious to you and grab ahold of it, even if you fall into the fires of Mordor while clutching it in your bload stained hands.