Occasional musings from a mind infected with cynicism, and hope.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Most weeks we send out this essay with a spiritual point in mind. Not so this week. In the spirit of summer, this is a light hearted observation of our culture. So here are 10 ways to immediately make our society better – at least in the eyes of our inner curmudgeon.
1. If you have 23 items in your cart…. stay out of the express lane. Do you somehow think that the polite rules of society do not matter to you?
If your little Johnny fell off of the swingset at the playground, perhaps Johnny is clumsy, and this is a sign that you need to help him learn to swing. This is NOT a reason to hire a lawyer and shut down the playground for every kid in the neighborhood that wants to swing. Stop it.
A red light is not the place for you to balance your checkbook, read the paper, or do your nails. There are people who are trying to get to their kids’ baseball game, or make it to work on time. The green arrow is only on for 5 seconds, and if you take up 4 seconds – you get through but cost the people behind you two minutes. Repeat after me – the world does not revolve around you.
Tennis is a great game! It is played with a light, metal racket and fuzzy, green balls on outdoor courts in the sunshine. It is not played indoors in front of a TV screen with a plastic box in your hand. I’m just letting you know.
We cannot “bubble-wrap” our kids for life. Many kids today have never fallen out of a tree, came home with poison ivy, built their own tree forts, organized a neighborhood game by going door to door on their bikes, or had an acorn fight. This is not to their benefit.
Any magazine that has a shallow, self-centered, immature, celebrity on the cover – do not buy it, pick it up or read it. Why give them a voice? Let’s turn off every TV show that features these as well. Avoid all of it and let it wither on the vine.
This might be a week where your teenager comes home with the sad news that her teacher hates her. This is not cause for immediate parental involvement, but is a great teaching moment. Learn this phrase – deal with it. Thriving in the midst of difficult people is a skill that will help them throughout life.
To our political leaders – public office should NEVER result in the amassing of your own personal fortune. Gaining personal benefit from being in a leadership position is immoral. We do not need a new law for this, we need a new surge of leadership and character. We have more than enough laws, we have far too little character.
Stop giving participation trophies. Where did we get the idea that this was a good thing to do? Teaching self-esteem disconnected from any achievement if a recipe for sociopathic behavior. Striving is good, disappointment is good, recognition of excellence is good. Expect the best from each other, and then celebrate it when it happens.
10. If you do not like your neighbors, or the kids in the neighborhood – befriend them. Involve yourself in the lives of others. May we all seek to become people of influence, rather than possessors of things.
