Family and Birthright

It was one of those weekends where the conversation was deeper than the prescription pile. Winter had indeed come and along with it, the quiet solitude so rarely offered in the pharmacy department. Introspection and reflection led to a few epiphanies and aha moments.

This was not one of those. It did inspire a lively debate however.

I mentioned that past customers of mine, a single mom with 3 young boys, all of different surname, were telling me the story of their annual trip to Florida. I mentioned my excitement at the start of Spring Training and heard this account: "I take the boys to spring training every year for 2 weeks. We get them new balls and bats and hats every day so they can line up and get the players' signatures." 

Huh. I must be doing something wrong.

Then the debate ensued. 

My tech posited that we should dare to live the dream life that accompanies state aid. 

I countered that we don't know how. 

Uber-Tech: It can't be that hard. 

CP: Sure it is. They have generations of knowledge. 

UT: All within the last 4 decades. 

CP: Just what was envisioned when the system was created. 

UT: But how would it be possible for us to not succeed? 

CP: We are too smart. We would try to be logical. Our way runs counter to how people think. We would have no problem paying for a $3.00 cough medicine for our children. These people, with years of experience, would yell and scream and walk away. 

UT: Perhaps we should take notes. 

CP: Like studying animals in their native environment? 

UT: Exactly. What better place than here? Either a pharmacy or an ER. 

CP: True. But we are also missing one key element. 

UT: What's that? 

CP: Pedigree. 

UT: Yeah. They always can afford dog food. 

CP: No. I mean being born into the right family. 

UT: Someone to show us the ropes. 

CP: Yes. Think about it like this. On one extreme, we have Tywin Lannister. He has the experience. He has the power. He has all the money and his children will inherit it and spend it and never run out of it. This is the product of being highborn. At the other end of the spectrum...
UT: ...you're saying that in order to be successful at the state aid game, you have to be born into the right family?
CP: Yes. Or married into it. Otherwise our family would go the way of House Reyne at Castamere.
UT: They will beat us with experience.
CP: Truly. Until then, we just have to commit ourselves to working every day to enable them to live out our dreams and live vicariously through them.
UT: I was really hoping for the new iPhone I could carry in my Coach purse while driving my Escalade.
CP: Dude. You're a guy. Why would you have a purse?
UT: Sorry. Someone has to comment on this thread with these 3 stereotypical items so I wanted to get them out of the way in the hopes I don't have to read through them later.
CP: Got it. See, there we go thinking inside the box again. I told you we don't know how play this game.