It’s a great day to be a Dillo! I got a free taco on Monday from Larry’s Corner Café. I had gone in to buy a taco for myself and someone else, but somebody had already bought one for me and a bunch of other people as well. It turns out Juice Rosales had bought $200 worth of tacos and people were told to ask for a Juice taco. Mine was delicious. Thanks Juice. You made my day.
Abraham Maslow published a paper in 1943 called "A Theory of Human Motivation.” In it, he referred to a hierarchy of needs that every person needs to become a healthy functioning person. I will try to explain the basics as simply as I can. Maslow made a diagram like a pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom and growing smaller as we get to the top.
At the bottom foundation of the pyramid are the basic human physical needs like food (tacos), shelter, warmth and safety. The opposite would be if people were cold, homeless, hungry and in danger. If those basic needs are not met, then people seldom thrive but merely exist from day to day.
In the middle of the pyramid are the psychological needs for a sense of belonging, purpose and relationships. The top of the pyramid is when a person is contributing to society by fulfilling their dreams and hopes. Some call it self-fulfilled.
Some people during this health crisis might be struggling with some of the basic needs of life. Nobody in San Saba should be hungry or need shelter but many people may not feel safe because of the coronavirus. The psychological needs can be difficult for many because we are in a time of social distancing and we were created to be social people. Let’s face it. We are herd animals. We were never meant to be alone or isolated.
People that live isolated lives are called hermits and are looked at as oddities in society. Therefore, this time feels odd for us.
I have often heard of people who considered themselves self-made. They got to the top without any help from anybody.
The Greeks have a word for someone like that, it’s called “bologna.” None of us would have ever made it past infancy without help. We needed the basics just to survive.
Our parents and teachers provided those psychological needs of relationships and encouragement. There has always been at least one person who said they believed in us. To be at the top of the pyramid, fulfilling a purpose that provides joy in the work of what and how we relate to others is what some call happiness. Happiness is not a promise or guarantee, but it is a choice. It is hard to be happy when we are stressed but we can be thankful that so many of our basic daily needs are being met.
We have been able to stay connected digitally in ways many of us older folks would have thought was comic book fiction when we were kids. Let’s keep counting our blessings and hang in there until we can be a herd again. Go Dillos!