If You Want Fair, Go to Danbury!

Life isn't fair. For a few decades, I could at least tell my students where it was.

As a small child, I can remember sitting in church and listening to a rather perplexing gospel reading. A day laborer came along and made an agreement with a farmer to work from 9 to 5 for a particular wage. Both men shook hands and the laborer proceeded to do his job in the field. Later on in the day, another worker joined the man in the field, and they worked side by side. After several inquiries, the original worker found out that both men were earning the exact same pay, even though he had started earlier in the day. The worker stormed back to the farmer to register a protest. The farmer responded to his complaint by asking, “Did we make an agreement and shake on it?” The worker said, “Yes, but…!” The farmer continued, “Did I violate this agreement in any way?” The worker replied, “No, but…!” The farmer responded, “Then you have no reason to complain. I did not break the contract.” As the reading came to an end, the priest reminded us that life is not always fair. Some people are given more, and some people are given less. Some people are challenged by life and others seemingly not. Simply put, one size does not fit all.

Students are constantly looking for everyday life to mirror the perfect balance of the gyroscope. They view each and every situation in light of themselves. “Hey, that’s not fair! Why does he get a turn and not me? Why can she write on the board and not me?” Sometimes I attempt to explain to them that one size does not fit all. Some children (like flowers in a garden) need a little more TLC. They simply do not have, at this time, the ability to succeed without some outside help and encouragement. Other students have been blessed with the ability and confidence to flourish on their own. At times, this explanation will succeed and suffice, but most of the time it does not do the trick. My response, therefore, becomes, “If you want fair, go to Danbury!” This reference to a well-known state fair in Danbury, Connecticut, worked for several decades. Then, like all things in this world, it fell subject to the passing of time. The once famous fairgrounds of Danbury had become too valuable for an annual state fairground. The property was sold (at least I’m told) and made into a huge shopping mall. When a student informed me of this one day in class, my response was a simple one, “You see, you can’t even get fair in Danbury these days!” Life is certainly not fair. We should learn to count our blessings and utilize our own God-given talents. Try not to envy the assistance given to those who truly need it.