If there’s one thing that the Maltese constantly deal in but probably aren’t really aware of, it’s entitlement. To be fair, we never really stood a chance to fend for ourselves. From the cradle to the grave, we are constantly invited to depend on someone else. Our education and our healthcare are paid for, and if that wasn’t great enough, we’re even given pocket money while getting higher education. Of course, higher education is not strictly necessary either because if we speak to the right people, we can even get a job we are in no way qualified for.

I knew that election time was coming when we were yet again promised ‘free’ money. I added inverted commas to free because any money we get is literally coming out of our taxes, or rather out of some of our taxes because even the lines around that tend to be a bit grey. I also knew it was election time because I got the call I get every few years from a ministry aide asking me if I needed anything. I don’t know where they get my number or quite frankly the audacity to call me after our last conversation, but there I was yet again, basically explaining that I don’t plan to be enticed into voting for any party, not now or ever. The quiet shock at the other end of the line was palpable: clearly, there are very few of us who don’t show up with a Christmas list and a smile for our dearest government representative.

The problem with entitlement is the more you’re given, the more you think you have the right to, regardless of how spoiled or downright ridiculous you sound. Take this week, for example. An article popped up about how a prospective bride wrote an open letter to the prime minister and the minister of health asking if they could disclose the date of the now impending election.

It would be nice if everyone came back to earth for a little while and got some perspective- Anna Marie Galea

Now, I know that these articles are usually written for clicks rather than anything else, but the sentiment behind what was asked stayed with me. We would all like to know when the election is, but it takes another level of entitlement to decide to address the people in power and tell them that before agreeing on an election date, they should keep in mind that the first weekend of June is the busiest time for weddings. I mean, I know everyone’s big day matters to them, but I’m not sure why the rest of the country or the prime minister should care.

Just a few days after this, I see a GoFundMe page with a young couple asking the public to give them money for furniture for their house. We aren’t talking about the homeless or vulnerable here; we are talking about an employed couple who bought a house and have decided to ask random strangers for money to fill it. When did this become okay? So many are struggling just to make it to the end of the month, and you want them to fund your sofa when they can barely afford their own?

I know that we have all been raised to believe the people we vote for are our sugar daddies, but it would be nice if everyone came back to earth for a little while and got some perspective. It’s this kind of childish attitude towards life that makes people so susceptible to being bought for so little. The world doesn’t owe you anything; nobody does.