From The Chief Editor's Desk...

Lately, I’ve been pondering how profound of an effect of where you live and grow up has on an individual’s life. There are so many factors involved, and it becomes easy to go down any number of “rabbit holes.”

The common “answer” to how many countries there are in the world (today) is 195. But, that number also depends on how you define a country. By other estimates, there may be as many as 200 separate countries, depending on how you tweak/define that “country” definition. Still, that’s a lot.

Within each country, its people share a mostly common and unique cultural identity. Within that cultural identity are many factors which have a profound effect on the course a person’s life takes. Some of those factors are pretty universal, regardless of which culture you’re looking at. Things like social status and economic status definitely have a profound effect, regardless of the culture. And, in many ways, those two are inextricably intertwined.

Most commonly, those of lower social status also have a lower economic status. Just those two factors alone can cause great influence on the course of a person’s life. Those with lower social status and those with lower economic status may not be able to afford to go to college for a higher education. There’s little argument that social status and economic status can go a long way towards dictating whether a person can even gain admission to an institution of higher learning. Of course, attending college doesn’t mean you’ll be successful in life, but it can have a major impact. After all, we still need plumbers, electricians, ditch diggers, road workers, construction workers, food preparers, and many other trades that don’t necessarily require a college degree.

Also, within that cultural identity are other factors, such as local customs, morals, and belief systems. Those can also have a huge influence on the course of an individual’s life. Most people will be bound by that moral code and local customs, and going against those can ostracize an individual from mainstream society, potentially forcing them even further downward in the cultural “pecking order.” The prevalent belief systems can also hamper an individual’s ability to rise up through the “ranks” of society and economic status.

Certainly, all of these factors will ultimately have a bearing on opportunities and success, speaking in a general sense. Of course, there are other factors involved. The state of the educational system in an individual’s native country is going to play a role. Opportunities for those just struggling to maintain their daily existence aren’t as prevalent as for those who live their lives on a higher rung of the socioeconomic ladder. The old adage “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” doesn’t have as much meaning for those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, when all of your daily efforts are spent just trying to survive and keep your head above water. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It leaves you to wonder how many people who would or could have had a significant impact on the world never get their chance to do so, simply because they didn’t have the opportunity because of the effects of these various factors on the course of their lives.

This month’s cover was created by Meemaw. She took an image from Pixabay artist Gerd Altmann as her background, and placed the Linux mascot Tux making “leaf angels” in the leaves. It’s a fitting image for the onset of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

Until next month, I bid you peace, happiness, serenity, prosperity, and continued good health!