I elect to be radical.

Am I better off than I was four years ago...? I think this question is stupid. It's like the cliche interview question of "Where do you picture yourself in five years?" Like I would want to predict my success or failures... Isn't "Am I better off" a question for my own initiative and motivation? I loathe the question because it suggests that what I do with my life is dependent upon whether or not the government has provided the proper set up for me to succeed. This is not what the Founding Fathers would have asked. I would think the majority of those that decided to take the slow boats to America were not thinking they were better off halfway through the trip. But they were thinking that. I believe it was the promise of a new freedom that they had no hope of reaching in the place they were coming from. And that was enough back then.

You see, in my opinion, we are too well off to realize what we have anymore. We argue and whine about what others have and get, whether by privilege or exception, or whatever the circumstance. When, what we really should be worrying about is what we're doing to make more of ourselves and in turn, help others make more of themselves. Once again, doesn't it always come down to attitude and perspective? Time warp tells me that all the pilgrims that helped bring us this country realized that the success of their future was up to them. And look at what came out of it! Are you better off is up to you, and only you. For starters anyway. Whether you decide to cowboy up with others to make the most of "it" or find a better way, no one is telling you or forcing you to do anything. This is what our freedom and democracy is all about. CHOICE. We get to make a choice! Granted, majority rules, but I believe if you look at history, that has generally served us well. So for those that want to say on one hand the government hasn't done what it's supposed to do for you, and on the other, the government is too involved in your life, I say you don't understand Democracy. By the people means it's your responsibility to be involved. And if the majority rule hasn't served your interests, then maybe you should take a second look. Because regardless of whether the government is partisan to your politics, you can still make a difference. You still can always serve a greater purpose- for others and in turn, for ourselves. There are millions of ways to do this.

I fear for the future because the "can do" mentality seems to be castaway by up and coming generations after my own. (And yes, that does imply that I think my generation is the last of those who weren't born feeling entitled.) The sense of entitlement is staggering and evident in present-day priorities and interactions (or total lack thereof) with others. In the current Facebook, Twitter, text, email world we live in now, gone is the face-to-face reality of what was, of what actually changed and effected our perspective. And I'm guilty too. I choose email over phone calls every time, unless you're extremely familiar to me. But what worries me is the latest generations rarely have opportunity for others to be familiar to them anymore. If you have 100+ "friends" on Facebook, who cares if you have any social skills? Who cares if you understand the importance of neglecting your own personal interests in order to help someone else? And I fear that gets lost more and more in the "standards" of the present day. So are we better off? And is that any one person's load to bear? I think not. Don't get me wrong. I have never been Polly Anna about anything and I too am frustrated many times over with what's going on (actually, not going on) in Congress. But I will always support the one that offers hope and the challenge to change over the one that only offers criticism for what hasn't happened with no game plan on what they can do better. I will always support the one that wants to find a better way for those that have been oppressed and neglected over the one that favors the more fortunate. I will always support the one that forges relationships to create solutions over the one that would rather wage war.

Am I better off? I challenge myself with that question everyday I'm alive. In my opinion, it is fundamentally my own responsibility, and also my responsibility to help my neighbor be better off as I would want for myself. That's what I've learned from being an American and a Patriot for my country. And I pledge allegiance with those who share the same view.

"It's not whether you win or lose, but how you view the game."

I can't think of a better time to re-evaluate those experiences that I want to accomplish before I kick the bucket, having just followed through with one on my birthday. But before I do, of course, I should say a few things...
Speaking of kicking- I often need a kick in the pants. I mean, to help get my outlook back "on-track" or adjust my attitude or however you want to say it. I wish that I could say that I learned that about myself over the years well enough to initiate the "kick" on my own. But I haven't. As I've pondered about in previous blogs, the carefree spirit of my youth that was so willing to take chances, to act the fool, to jump in feet-first, to experience life with abandon- often gets lost in the muck of adult routines. But I feel like I've finally come to understand and digest what determines the balance. I've known it all along, I even have quotes about it posted at my desk and elsewhere to remind me of the importance. But it just hasn't truly sunk in until recently. It's all about perspective. I'm not just talking about simple point of view. I mean equanimity. And I want it. I feel as though a good place to start will involve somehow evoking the frame of mind that existed when I wanted so much to be "grown up" as a kid and then melding that with the present-day longing for the "innocence of youth" as an adult.
I realize, as with all truly worthwhile things in life, that even coming close to such a refined state of being will require daily, hourly and often minute to minute adjustment of my attitude and mindset. In other words, a lot of work. But I think the morning of July 9, 2011 push-pinned into my very being a prominent reminder of just how important "perspective" is in life. I want to hang on to that as tight as I can as I proceed through the next 42 or so years.

Olly Olly Oxen Free!?

We really shouldn't grow up you know. I realize that more and more everyday. The lessons of childhood were all about this. Growing up, I mean. Preparing for these doldrums of Nine to Fiveing. I think of it as the Adult On-Set Blahs disease. Where people forget how to have fun, how to find joy in the smallest of things, how to speak the truth because you don't know any better. And what a travesty that the one thing we DO seem to hang on to is all the paltry little trivial name-calling and tattle-taleing. The same snotty and patronizing behavior that made you dread sitting alone at lunch is still going strong at the proverbial water cooler apparently. But all the fun stuff that made it more bearable has disappeared. Like recess. And nap time. And electives! Can you imagine how much better the day would be if we still had swings to run for once the bell rang, and a little mat to lay down on for even 15 minutes! (Come on people, we need naps now more than ever.) And oh how I would love to have an elective subject to get to go to as a part of my work schedule. "Yes boss, I'll give you that report right after art class this afternoon."
I must confess that my creativity has gone missing because of the daily grind. The mundane seems to be saved for the adult ages, and why?? Because we now supposedly know more or know better? I don't think wisdom was supposed to = boring. (Though all those "wise old owls" sure don't seem like they're up all hours of the night having fun.) Or maybe for many people, it's because they have kids and so someone should act like they're all mature and stuff? But I really don't have that excuse, and should there be a day when I am a parent, I would hope I can still remember how important it is to play with abandon. What is it that makes us lose the zest for life that children have? Because even when we do meet someone that miraculously still displays it, we treat them like they were dropped on their head rather than seeing that they've found a better way than us to experience it. What I'm realizing, as I prepare in advance for my mid-life crisis, is that it's no wonder the wonder went missing. We spend our youth hastily pushing toward adulthood only to realize that Shaw was probably right. Youth is wasted on the young. But personally, as I sit here disgruntled with the state of blah I've allowed myself to get to, I'm thinking we might should be saying "Experience is wasted on the old". Either way, this adult on-set disease is self-imposed and therefore optional. So I think I'm going to see about doing a little creative regression and get my inner child back out again. Anyone else ready to play? Good! You're it.

41

Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed. ~ Charles Schulz

You be the Judge.

We are a judgmental society. I suppose maybe most are, since it's been an apparent issue of note as far back as the Bible goes, but I can only speak for the society I live in. And here I go.
Even those that judge us are judged. I've been especially interested in the confirmation hearings of late for the two women that have been candidates for Justices of the Supreme Court. If ever there was a time for others to run wild with an agonizing scrutinization of one's life, being the next contestant for public office seems to be it. What's interesting to me is that the main concept of judging, is to draw a conclusion on something based on evidence. I think that last part gets left out a majority of the time when it comes to the everyday, layman adjudications of others. And evidence means more than just your observations my friends. There should be something that furnishes proof.

So let's talk about what I see as the three flavors of unjustly "judging" others. Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Bigotry. They all should leave a bad taste in your mouth, but we know that there are those that find them delicious. I think stereotypes are prevalent because there is unfortunately some kind of a majority that personifies the mental image. My problem with these though, is that they seem to lead to prejudices. Prejudice is learned. Which also means that somebody is teaching it. Teaching that certain kinds of people deserve to be treated badly. It's like a nightmarish family tradition that's been handed down for generations as if it were a priceless heirloom. And then if you're really ambitious, you can go for the triple dipper and plop that big ole scoop of bigotry right on top. The granddaddy of them all. This entails devotion to your narrow-minded, chauvinistic ignorance and hatred. It takes a special kind of person to develop that kind of stupid.
If you think you detect just a slight pinch of intolerance in what I'm saying, you're right. I have essentially no patience for the myopic fanatics who do everything but promote a moral standard for society. What they DO promote, is marginalization and hostility. Why is America saturated with this kind of muck? I've always found it so ironic that the country that was founded by those who were looking to escape from prejudice and oppression, ends up perpetuating the dilemma. But I think that's because it's human nature to judge others. And the scary thing of it is - we ALL do it. One way or another, even you have made some sort of remark, or most certainly have registered a thought, that could be classified as bigoted, intolerant, discriminatory, or prejudicial. My question is, was it based on the evidence? Or did it just leave a bad taste in your mouth? You be the Judge, I guess.