hustlers vs dawdlers
- Reanna Hilario
- Oct 23, 2017
- 4 min read
No, this isn't a piece about the new season of Survivor (although it is very good if you haven't checked it out).
I recently had a conversation with a close friend of mine about the differences between people who work hard every day towards their goals and people who are privileged and simply get things handed to them without lifting a finger. It seems to be a common theme among people. Those who work hard and those who don't.*
Lately, I find myself busting my ass - ultimately working towards a life goal I set for myself. I was raised to pay my dues and earn my way to the top by showing that I've got what it takes. I like to consider myself an independent woman. I work for what I earn and I'm happy about that. For me, it's all about the daily grind. It's getting up before the crack of dawn to get to my 6a shifts on time. It's doing whatever my boss asks me to do. I'm a hustler. I get shit done.
However, sometimes I can't help but be a little green with envy when I see a lot of people around me get things handed to them. It's almost like a slap to my face. I do all this work to have the person next to me do no work and get all the praise. Now please understand when I say I'm not complaining about not being praised. It would be nice to be recognized for all my hard work every now and then, but the point I'm trying to make here is that there is a good amount of people who don't work and yet somehow still get all the love and praise. And it doesn't make it any better when it's someone who doesn't completely deserve it either.
You can't tell me I'm completely wrong. I mean, look at it this way: there are a lot of musical artists out there who thrive off of their looks, fame and/or money. Then there are those who take what they're passionate in and tell stories through their music, yet get no recognition. I have so many friends and favorite local bands who create incredible and amazing music that deserve to be recognized and loved by everyone just as much as I love them. I may be biased, but my point still stands. A handful of mainstream artists get recognized because they either have the looks, the money, or the right connections.
It totally bums me out to see great artists and bands get overlooked just because they don't have a certain thing that will get them "in." I get it. It's a tough industry to get in. But at what point do we stop recognizing the dawdlers that don't earn their way and start praising those who hustle to make a name for themselves? Those people at least deserve the equal amount of recognition, if not, more.
That's why I'm a huge supporter of local bands/artists. Support your local bands/artists. Love your local bands/artists. Most of them are working hard to make their way in. They're doing something they love and are passionate in. Some of them even create their own material. They spend hours in the studio rehearsing and recording and mixing their music. A lot of big name artists/bands started out this way. Local bands with minimal exposure. They continued to work hard every day to get to where they are today.
Now back to those who are privileged and get things handed to them without lifting a finger: I'm not trying to attack y'all. The way I was raised just makes me think it's morally wrong to get things handed to you. It's irritating to see that this happens. That life just seems so much easier and stress free for you. That you don't have to try and you still get exactly what you want. And to be quite frank, some of y'all have talent and some of y'all don't. And hey, that's okay. Everyone can learn to sing, but some people just have the talent and the mindset to work to be the best versions of themselves. If you're gonna take the easy way out, at least be humble about it. In the wise words of Kendrick Lamar, "Sit down, be humble."
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Author's note
If this post somehow compelled you to start listening to music by local bands/artists or just musicians getting their start, here are some links to get you started:
View of the Pines Playlist - a coffee shop playlist
Summer Vibes Playlist - an alt indie playlist
the playlists are mine and totally have bigger name artists in them, but there are some goodies I'm sure you might not have heard of before! enjoy.
*Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece. Everything written is purely my opinion and I would happily love to have a conversation about this very topic!
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