Lately, I’ve been thinking deeply—not about politics or world news, but about the ground beneath it all. The kind of ground that holds us up when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.
My world has been topsy-turvy for years now—nearly half a decade, which feels impossible and eternal all at once. When life stretches like that, when every day is survival, it changes what you notice. It changes what you dream about.
More and more, I imagine what life could look like if certain things were just a given.
What if, because we’re born into this world, we were guaranteed the basics—shelter, food, plumbing, safety? Nothing extravagant, just enough to live without the constant anxiety of losing it all.
I’ve come to realize that when people lose their footing, when they’re stripped of dignity or stability, they often lose their sense of humanity. And when people stop feeling human, the world becomes a harsher place for everyone. That’s why I think it’s worth asking as a society: if we know some will fall through, why not build a stronger floor to stand on?
Automation, AI, and disappearing jobs are changing everything. Even the most responsible people—those who’ve worked all their lives—are finding themselves unhoused or struggling to survive. And when the economy no longer supports the world we were promised, it’s not “irresponsibility.” It’s reality.
I’m living that reality right now. I’ve followed every path I could: shelters, social programs, applications, waiting lists, interviews. Some help has come my way, and I’m truly grateful. But it’s never enough to hold on to stability. Each day still feels like starting from zero.
Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to this thought: what if life itself wasn’t so fragile? What if being alive meant you already had the right to live with dignity?
If you’ve read this far, thank you. Writing here gives me a voice when so many parts of life try to silence it. If my thoughts resonate, or if you’d like to support me as I keep writing, reflecting, and rebuilding, you can buy me a coffee. Every bit helps me stay afloat—and stay human—in a world that sometimes forgets how many of us are barely hanging on.
☕ www.buymeacoffee.com/adontaimason
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