63 Marbles
He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.
Joseph Heller
Okay, I know I’ve mentioned that Jay-Z interview twice already but I’m going to mention it again. It’s not like I’m a huge fan or that it was so profound, but I found a few elements that were thought-provoking. In the introduction, he was touted as a “self-made man” and as the cameras scanned the crowd of adoring fans, I wondered, “Is anyone ever self-made?” Where would he be without all the countless encouraging hands along the way? Would he be the same person today without those discouraging feet that tried to trip him? And now, who would he be without his audience? Where would he be without the people who liked him enough to spend their cash on an album? A concert ticket? And now, clothing?
Yeah, I get it, he took initiative and saw a dream for himself beyond where he came from, but we support each other in countless ways. We are all involved in a human web of interconnections and, as the old saying goes, no man is an island.
Admittedly, the idea of being self-made is a bit of a trigger for me. As someone who was adopted who grew into an entrepreneur, Ex-man prided himself on being self-made. He bought his own car even before he could drive, bought his own house, owned his own business, all without financial help from his parents. But was this little story even true? His adopted parents brought him into their family and raised him, paying for his private school education.
He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.
Joseph Heller
Okay, I know I’ve mentioned that Jay-Z interview twice already but I’m going to mention it again. It’s not like I’m a huge fan or that it was so profound, but I found a few elements that were thought-provoking. In the introduction, he was touted as a “self-made man” and as the cameras scanned the crowd of adoring fans, I wondered, “Is anyone ever self-made?” Where would he be without all the countless encouraging hands along the way? Would he be the same person today without those discouraging feet that tried to trip him? And now, who would he be without his audience? Where would he be without the people who liked him enough to spend their cash on an album? A concert ticket? And now, clothing?
Yeah, I get it, he took initiative and saw a dream for himself beyond where he came from, but we support each other in countless ways. We are all involved in a human web of interconnections and, as the old saying goes, no man is an island.
Admittedly, the idea of being self-made is a bit of a trigger for me. As someone who was adopted who grew into an entrepreneur, Ex-man prided himself on being self-made. He bought his own car even before he could drive, bought his own house, owned his own business, all without financial help from his parents. But was this little story even true? His adopted parents brought him into their family and raised him, paying for his private school education.
When we were together, I came to see his personal narrative as an indication of his unease in being open, vulnerable, and interdependent with others. I used to know a numerologist who would tell me, “You’re trying to make a relationship work with a man who is a loner.” The one thing he couldn’t do ‘on his own’ was have babies. Every woman who stands beside someone who is “self-made” knows that it’s one of the largest lies on the planet.
Journalist George Matthew Adams wrote, “There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others.” Yet there is a balance between acknowledging and appreciating our interdependence with others and being responsible for our own life and our own choices. The trick is to know that, even though you may be following your own unique path, you could not travel it without the help and support of countless others.
I’ll end by thanking Ex-man, for without him, there would be no 365 Marbles.
Are you comfortable with the balance of independence and interdependence in your life?
Journalist George Matthew Adams wrote, “There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others.” Yet there is a balance between acknowledging and appreciating our interdependence with others and being responsible for our own life and our own choices. The trick is to know that, even though you may be following your own unique path, you could not travel it without the help and support of countless others.
I’ll end by thanking Ex-man, for without him, there would be no 365 Marbles.
Are you comfortable with the balance of independence and interdependence in your life?
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