Play Fair

I definitely have seen way too many Disney movies in the course of my childhood. This thought occured to me sometime after my thirtieth year, although I can't pin it down any more than that.

I looked around me. I guess it's that type of self assessment one does at a landmark such as thirty, in preparation for the big mid life crisis. I was definitely gathering my evidence:
1. Middle-class wage in a job that takes a little piece of my soul in addition to the 40-60 hours a week.
 OR
1. Noncomittal, semi-fun job that barely allows me to scrape by

2. ok car that runs but has two doors from two different cars. Found searching all day in the sun at multiple junk yards
OR
2. Shiny, new car that comes with a five year note

3. A mostly bad marriage
OR
3. Single and lonely

4. No friends
OR
4. Friends who hurt me

Wow, that's getting depressing. Why don't I stop there?
The point is I didn't marry the dream guy, don't live in the dream house, not working a career that I love, driving a fabulous car. Not surrounded by fabulous people.
I don't have the happy ending I always thought my life would be. But reality never really measures up to what is in your mind's eye, so maybe that's the unfair advantage happiness holds.

My only question is this...Why are people sooo mean? How does this help anything? It feels like the world is a dangerous jungle and everyone has to look out for themselves. Why?

Is everyone so unhappy that they want to spread it around?
My coworkers, for example. Unecessarily hostile. Aren't we all working together towards the same goal. What the heck have I ever done to you? Geez. My life is hard enough without having to deal with so many jerks. But that's my idealistic, formerly naive, care bear side that thinks if people just understood each other, they would all get along.
The truth is everyone is looking out for themselves. they are proud, bossy, arrogant, butt kissing, unjust and unfair.
yet I cannot let go of the dreams in my heart. Even if they never come to pass, I always seem to return to the hope that I will find an awesome job, my marriage can improve. If I work hard enough, maybe I can buy that house and car. Maybe, maybe...I can make more friends.
And maybe, justice does indeed exist-and I can have mine
Hope does spring eternal.