Fair

The frog lies in wait for any fair game. Whilst on the lookout for insects she is also aware of the nasty birds that are after some lunch too. They can end the frog’s time on earth. It is jolly unfair that the bird is bigger, faster, and most cheekily - equipped with special vision that highlights the whereabouts of this lowly amphibian. The frog is hoping most of all to enter the human arena by virtue of being kissed by a prince. For this new form of existence is based on higher intelligence and has systems in place to make it fair for all.

The frog not only turns into a charming princess but has a say so in regards the finer details. Does it want to be really pretty, pretty smart, pretty tall or be a pretty good singer. This is a form of fairness that the standard humans do not get to make. We the people that are born from other people may have many desires. We would love to sing to large crowds but the sound we make is too close to that of a strangled cat. It is unfair that some can sing well and make a jolly good income from it, plus get heaps of adoration. Likewise, there are those that can run very fast. They are coveted for competitions with huge prizes. There are always the few that have the edge, the crucial, sometimes small mark of distinction that benefits their life. The rest, the majority are just too middling.

My friend is doing better than me at school. Why? Not because they have rich parents, oh no, just because their parents spent a bit more time with them, reading, writing and talking with them.

Today was another unfair day. I was rather thirsty and had to queue to use the vending machine. It is deemed fair to wait our turn. However, my drink got stuck and failed to come out. I had paid the same as everyone else yet was left without. I feel cheated, why did that only happen to me? The day went from bad to worse. I discovered by pure chance that I have been paying close to double what “locals” are paying for their food at the restaurant. Then I went to the wholesaler and found out that my competitors are better at haggling than me. They are being charged much less for their supplies. It is not the cost savings, it is the principle that annoys me the most. Maybe life as a frog is not so complicated. I know that I and three siblings were the only ones to reach adulthood. The fish ate all the other spawn, hundreds of them, that came from my mother’s rear. Count myself lucky is what you might be thinking.

My transformation from frog to person has gone rather swimmingly. Disappointingly that is not the case for all. Some have found that their skin is forever falling off and they need to be carefully rebandaged every day, painfully so. As for me, I do hope that I my hair doesn’t start falling out as I get older, that will not look nice. I am sure that those that have found that to be the case find it unfair, but so be it. Maybe there will be a future where such issues like this can be remedied. Fixed without side effects nor compromise. One way or another there seems to be those with an advantage relating to the mind or body. How can we level the playing field? Would a homogenised society be better – all talented, all equally handsome, all as clever, thus none remarkable?

As a frog I found a pond where I could exterminate, for the benefit of my stomach, enough fodder for the day within a few hours. That left the rest of the day to do as I please. Other frogs like to do the job in a more plodding manner. Now that I am in the human work environment, I face the same issue. Some of my colleagues are, believe it or not, even faster than me. They get three times as much done in a day and are paid three times more. We tried a system where we got paid according to the amount of time we were on duty. The productivity dropped too much, and it had to be abandoned. Where the system was tried in other work places it went more smoothly. I think it would be fairer if I simply got a promotion and became a manager. That way I need not worry about how fast I work. I will get paid regardless and more than those on the shop floor. Some very pleasant souls have found themselves to be at the forefront of the fairest way to deal with the very slow paced, every employer says, “no thanks (go away)”.

Maybe all this whinging about the difference in earnings could be sorted by us all having an earnings rate card. The more we earn the more we pay for all goods and services. Some already pay more into the community depending on how grand their house is. This could be extended to all their purchases.

As a frog, going anywhere near a road was a very hazardous affair indeed. Some drivers took pleasure in squashing us. They got their comeuppance, long after they thought they got away with it. As a much taller animal we sometimes step into the road at a dedicated crossing point where the drivers are obliged to stop. But stop they do not always do. We have a choice, be dead right or step back and bury our pride. It can be fun to joke around and mess about with people. Sometimes people abuse their physical superiority and react by grabbing someone by the throat or putting them in a headlock. The victim feels more than just aggrieved, they feel powerless and humiliated. What makes these situations worse is that other people just stand by and don’t intervene. Life in this instance is again unfair. We can look out for the warning signs and back off before they jump on us. It can take a lot of traumata before one begins to accept that certain people are dangerous. They are like tigers and lions that won’t hesitate to maul you given the opportunity.

Being at the mercy of someone else is the most hated aspect of the offence. They dictate your future in that moment. In some cases, any sexual aspect of the horror can be secondary to the inability to escape their grip.

The law is there to protect us, but in that moment it is useless. So many people are damaged by violence metered out by those that can’t control themselves. If we poke the bear, it will lash out. We tend to learn the hard way, after the event. Some have narrow escapes and learn the dangers. Someone that is bigger than you is right no matter what. They are right and you are wrong and that is it. Dolphins eat fish, fish eat other fish. Animals gorge on one another. The world is both a beautiful and a sick place. Frogs are weak, as are you. Frogs that survive choose their ponds wisely.

A dainty princess with more beauty than brute strength learns to get out of the way when trouble is brewing. Some butch types are more inclined to stand firm. With many successes under their belt, they have a belief that they can withstand any aggressive situation. That is until they are cut down by one nefarious use of a small sharp object. In the long run, there is no point in trying to fight everyone. Even the strongest will be defeated eventually, either by someone nimbler or plain luckier. Loss of dignity in the moment and not having to worry about saving face is humbling but safer. Is it worth putting your survival at jeopardy when the issue is just derisive words or slander? Is the will to act better kept for when you or somebody else’s physical wellbeing is imperilled.

Governments aim to protect the citizens from dangers at home and abroad. They can try and reduce what it sees as unfairness and discriminatory behaviour even though the world is and never will be ordered and truly fair. Unfairness is a part of the rough and tumble of life. Unfairness is the consequence of the random chaotic nature of the world that brings life in the first place. We like fairness particularly when it suits us. Few shy away from being a member of the privileged set if the opportunity arises. To be thought of as a very-important-person even for just one night is attractive. We want to feel worthy and as good as the rest, not marked out nor victimised. We dislike discrimination. Many won’t accept it and will do something to try and address it. A café owner can charge what they like to whoever they like as it is their café, but some do not see it that way. Favouritism is not viewed as endearing.

It is usually those with the most privileges that are keenest to espouse the notion of fairness. For them it is different for they have worked harder, have more certificates, or have parents that belong to a higher class. Some propose special car lanes to avoid the traffic jams and the first choice in all offerings. Fairness is always about how it affects us personally. Take from the rich and give to the poor so long as the rich are defined as only those with more than me.