Unintended Consequences

When I started TaeKwonDo, there were many consequences I was thinking of. I thought of the discipline required to participate in such a sport. I thought of the community it would provide for our family, in terms of the boys making friends. I thought of how much it would cost, and the time it would take. There were, of course, things I didn't think of. One of the first consequences to make itself evident was the damage to my pedicure. For the last 14 years, I have always had my toenails painted. I can't stand how my toes look, but the paint detracts from that. Plus, I just like it. It makes me feel 'finished', even when the rest of me looks a wreck. Now, however, I have to paint may toenails every couple days in order for them to look finished. Otherwise, they just look like this:

Then, there's the fact that I am getting in shape. I knew this would happen. I just hadn't given it much thought. Now, though, I'm giving it a lot of thought. After all, my stamina is improving by leaps and bounds (literally - heh) and my flexibility is improving as well. Plus, I have managed to lose inches (not weight) without even trying.

Then, there's the fact that I have joined a social group of my own. I thought of the social aspect for my kids, but not for me. I have started making friends (granted 3 of them are 11 and 12) and I have other adults to talk to on a regular basis.

But, while I thought of the time involved, I did not realize how much time we would really be spending at the dojong. I did not think about the impact it would make on my ability, or inability to make dinner. I have had to adapt my dinner planning, using my crock pot more, and freezing multiple meals in order to make cooking quick and easy. This is not a problem, just an example of some of the things I did not think about.

There are deeper and more detrimental unintended consequences to things when the government does things.

One of the most obvious examples is welfare. The idea was a noble one. Everyone would be supported. No one would go without food, clothing, or shelter. Of course, the government forgot they weren't there to support the populace, rather to do the populace's bidding. I digress. There were many unintended consequences of welfare. One of those consequences was that many men, in combination with the 'free love' society, realized they did not need to stick around and raise their children, the government would do it for them. Another problem was when women (granted very few of them) who were already on welfare, continued to have more children in order to get more money. Then, there was the extremely detrimental consequence. Because of the way welfare is set up, it is very difficult to get a job and try to support yourself without losing your welfare benefits immediately. If the government is going to support people, they should be helping them get on their feet, not keeping them from getting on their feet.

Another example of unintended consequences is social security. Social security created a generation of people who fully expected and planned to rely on the government for their support. At one point in our history, people would not have willingly relied on the government for anything let alone their full support. They have abdicated their responsibility for their retirement without a whimper of protest. They have become dependent, again, at a time in their lives, when they should be most independent.

People need to seriously consider all the consequences before making a decision. The government needs to reconsider this financial bailout. They need to look at all the ripples, not just the big splash in the middle.