In the book "everything is illuminated" there is this passage where Alex reflects on what his little brother will experience when he grows up:

"Little Igor, the bruises go away, and so does how you hate, and so does the feeling that everything you receive in life is something you have earned."

I think "feeling like you've earned it" is very similar to feeling like you deserve it -- a sense of entitlement? I feel that my generation struggles with this sense of entitlement. We are supposed to be grateful for all the choices we have; yet, we are trapped by these choices. Interesting how this "deserving" applies to both good and bad things in life.

Talk

I remember a few years ago a famous jazz pianist passed away . . . I can't remember his name. In an article commemorating his death, one of his closest friends was interviewed to glean some insight into his day-to-day life. "What were some common conversation topics you had in the last few years of his life?" was the reporter's question. His life-long friend, an octogenarian himself, said something along the lines of . . .
--Oh, this and that.
--You must have spoken about music quite a lot?
--Well, actually, no. We hardly ever talked about music. Music was something he made and played. It was something he did. There was no need to talk about something one does. One just does it.

I like that.