Nobody Rides for Free

There’s a old saying that’s floated around gas stations, biker bars, and backseats for decades:
Ass, gas, or grass—nobody rides for free.

Charming, right? But behind that beer stained bumper sticker wisdom is a truth that Bob Dylan beat to death with a guitar string and a harmonica:
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

I don’t care who you are, which titles you may have earned or how much fluff you’ve convinced people to put in your LinkedIn bio:
You might be a preacher, a pimp, or a Pilates instructor.
A queen, a janitor, or a two-bit influencer slinging skincare from your momma’s basement.

But make no mistake—You’re working for someone.
As the song says, “May be the Devil, May be the Lord, but You Gotta Serve Somebody”.

May be your ex-wife’s alimony payments. May be the HOA president fining you for putting your Christmas wreath up one week too early.
For many of us, it’s the clock--
Punch in. Punch out. Repeat.

Some folks dress up their servitude in pearls and PowerPoints.
Call it Ambition. Networking. Legacy building.
But peel it back and it’s all the same:
Another soul trading hours for relevance and hoping the check clears.

You might be on stage or behind a fryer—makes no difference.
Serve tables. Serve subpoenas. Serve your cravings.
But you will serve.

Even the so-called “self-made” types with the Bugatti and Botox?
They’re just slaves to image, pal.
Curating a life that looks good on Instagram.
Praying to the Gods that today’s post gets more than a pity-like from cousin Darlene.

But here’s the brass tacks—the thing that separates the folks who get it from the ones chasing validation like a raccoon in a dumpster full of Doritos:

You get to choose who you serve.

That’s it. That’s the whole deal.

You can serve truth or lies.
Pride or peace.
Profit or purpose.

But if you think you’re the exception—some wild stallion galloping through life unhitched and unpaid. Easy there, Free Bird --You’re just delusional.

So, stop pretending you’re not part of the system.
You can’t skip the ride cowboy. You just get to choose your saddle.

At the end of the day, we all have to pay. We all have to serve.
In time.
In energy.
In heart and soul.
And if you’re lucky, it’ll only cost you the grass. . .

Thanks for riding along with The Condition. (No payment required.)