Ebay for the soul

Writer Steve Young had a dream. Like any father he wished his wife and children only the best. For this, he needed five million dollars, and fast. The solution? Steve Young decided to sell his family on Ebay.\nHe, his wife Diana and his two children Kelly and Casey were bundled together in a special collector's edition package which included a lifetime of platonic companionship, invitations to family gatherings and help around the house. \nNot many could pass up this offer, and the family actually received a bidder willing to pay the suggested minimum five million dollars on the first day. After that, however, Ebay fell wise to his plot and yanked Young out of their system.\nEbay claims it is against company policy and the Emancipation Proclamation to sell human beings.\nNow, many might scoff at Young's actions. They'd say he lacks moral fiber, that his goals were shallow and that he's another victim of our soul-sucking digital age. \nNot me.\nI think Young's reasoning is simple and true when he says "You have patrons of the arts, museums and charities. I wanted a patron for my family."\nIsn't that what we all need anyway? Golden Globe award winner Virginia Woolf suggested that very same idea: a patron and a room of one's own. What better way to solve your problems and live the life you truly desire? With no need for a job, his children could have not only have striven for lofty goals, but achieved them, as they could afford lessons, time and connections. \nDon't we always say that pursuing your dreams and being happy are our ultimate goals in life?\nPulitzer winning novelist Michael Chabon writes in his book "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," "There is only one sure means in life of ensuring that you are not ground into paste by disappointment … and that is to always ensure, to the utmost ability, that you are doing it solely for the money."\nThat's what our whole zeitgeist is built upon -- doing it for the Benjamins, reconciling ideals for dollars. After all, it works, right?\nWe are the richest nation in the world. We can build lives for our children in whichever way we choose. There is little we can't solve, for we have the means. It's not like we're going to war, right?\nWe have no counter culture; we all get along. While the '60s protesters decided to shun all aspects of the system to fight war and greed, today we take a different approach. We protest, but only for a weekend -- after all, we had Monday off. We cut our hair once a month and make sure we see the next Ben Affleck movie. Support the economy, we all win. Money makes the world go around.\nLike Young's family, who needs character when you can get results? Who needs standards when we can get what we want? Happiness comes in small packages, and they cost a lot money. \nMaybe Steve was sacrificing more than he bargained for when he offered to change his and his family's last name for the opportunities five million dollars would have bought. Or maybe he decided it was the lesser of two evils. How many of us would have made the same decision? I think it's many more than you might like to admit.\nKudos to Steve for being upfront with his motivations. He has something that many of us don't notice that we lack.\nAt least he is honest.