A musing Beam

In many ways, all human relations boil down to economics. You have to pay for things. (As many of my blogs start... ) I've often had this conversation with my kids. If you want someone to be nice to you, you need to be nice to her. If you want someone to do something for you, you need to do something for him. There is an economic basis for most relationships, and -- in general -- only the unhealthy ones do not have some sort of give-and-take at their cores. I think this is something that we, as a society, forget more and more. If you read The Greatest Generation (or, better, listen to the audio version -- Tom Brokaw rocks), you realize how soft and entitled we have become. I did an oral history of my grandfather several years ago, and he mentioned how he had to go fishing daily in order for the family to eat. Sometimes he caught enough to sell, and after quite awhile, he was able to save up enough to buy his own boat, which meant he didn't have to bank-fish anymore. &quo