Oral Tracey is spot on

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Let me just say that the Maverick Oral Tracey has been for decades one of the most fair and honest presenters that I have seen in Jamaica’s media history, from the harsh criticisms in the arena of sports to his recent criticisms in the arena of politics. In both cases, I have seen fair and objective criticism.

But, on a recent video titled ‘Rich and Sad, Poor and Happy’, Tracey highlighted the differences in happiness or content levels between those he perceives as the haves and the have nots, using one metric, being the type of vehicle that persons drive and their perceived earning potential. The premise of this video is that he notices that those who seemingly have more are more unhappy.

The Maverick’s correlation doesn’t always be taken literally, and the underlying factor he seemed to have left out is that act of living within ones means. Many persons, who are seen as have not live a life well within their salaries and are not attempting to keep up with the Joneses, as such, less pressure and a more fulfilling life. Many individuals with the flashy cars and other ‘haves’ really are living a lifestyle they cannot afford and are drowning in debt to live said lifestyle, leading to the sour faces he alluded to in the video. In many cases, the only differences between the entry-level worker and many high-level executives are that one may drive a 10 year-old car and one drives the latest and most expensive vehicle. But both may be homeless if they miss two or three pay cheques. The major difference between the two is that the executive has a lot more to lose, literally and figuratively.

The key indicator of happiness isn’t wealth, it is living within one’s means. The wealthy that are living within their means are happy, without the sour faces at the stop light.

No matter how tall you are, when you hang your hat further than you can reach, you will have to struggle to reach for it.

Again, Maverick, keep doing what you are doing. The political sphere needs your views in the field, as not many commentators come across genuinely objective and without an agenda.

ADREAN GENTLES