If those elected to govern represent the people at large then is our governing body at fault for a school system, which 'fails' to provide for our kids? And if our children are falling behind, what does that say about how they're being taught in our schools? Or do children fail to excel when angry tension at home causes young minds to flood, fearfully, with emotional static to the point that clarity 'fails' to sink in? If we take time to think and bigger pictures appear then is one factor at fault or all three?
Who is to be held accountable for equality in schools? How does equality work when the allocation of funds is based upon each neighborhood's property taxes?
Who is to be held accountable for these teeter totter rides: As mental health services plummet, the numbers of homeless rise. And what of our rising concern about foreclosures which cause the spirits of innocent children, attending schools set aside for the homeless, to dive? And what of their hopes? How many children adopt their parents' distrustful, and thus hopeless, attitudes concerning institutions like national banks? How do attitudes of hopeless distrust portend for our nation's future? Who is to be held accountable for the fact that teachers, policemen and fire fighters must work two jobs to catch up with unpaid bills, while rock stars who swallow rats, professional athletes who sexually harass, and actors, snorting cocaine, pull in millions?????
Who is to be held accountable for a health system in ruins? Who is running this show? You and the doctors of your choice? Or big business, which, caring only for profit, cares naught for our health? And what of big business replacing overworked nurses with nurses' aides in hospitals, corporately run? What happens when we lose sight of limits? When the sky's the limit for one pyramid scheme after another? Seriously—who is big business in bed with, today? Are we really in good hands with Allstate? Are we part of the rock? Or do we just have rocks in our heads? When capitalism runs wild, who pays the piper? You know who as well as I do ...
As in—who is to be held accountable for the cost of medications?
How will those who govern manage health care when they can't handle Medicare? Do you know that medical rationing takes place in other nations? Do you know what will happen when boutique medicine attains the same level of popularity in the U.S., as hospitals hiring hospitalists. Do you know what a hospitalist is? (The fact that this concept is still so new makes me wonder if the word has made it into the dictionary, yet?) How nuts is it that we see our own docs when we're well, but Doctor Stranger ministers to our needs when illness hits seriously enough to require hospitalization, And when the hospitalist's shift is done for the day and hospitalist #2's shift begins, need we be reminded that too many cooks spoil the broth? During one hospital stay, my mom saw so many internists that no one remembered to order an MRI. As all of these points merit serious consideration, each will be fleshed in within a story down the road.
Who is to be held accountable for the state of our oil slicked environment?
How green has each of us become? Do litterbugs recycle at home? How can we assume to know each other well when no one knows what takes place behind closed doors? Why are we utterly shocked when Eagle Scouts go berserk, climb towers and murder everyone in sight? How little doth we know of the complex functions of our brains? Of short circuits, which exist inside our minds?
When one of my kids said: Mom, you can't change the world! I had to agree.
Common sense suggests that I can't change the world any more than I can force information into other people's heads. I mean, really, it's hard enough to educate and challenge myself! And so knowing that I can't change others, here is what I can do: I can hold myself accountable for cheer leading a wake up call, inspiring positive changes in one family at a time—by way of one insight, one step, two insights, two steps ... three steps forward—and just like ducklings crossing to the other side of the road, by placing one foot in front of the other, we can fall into line, straighten up, and actually succeed in cleaning up this mess, which has overwhelmed our world. (14 countries and counting ... :-)
Do I believe that this heartfelt passion for creative problem solving, which spurs me on, will bear fruit within my lifetime? Picking fruit is not my goal. My goal is to plant seeds in fertile soil, thus supporting the younger generation's right to swallow less bitterness and enjoy more sweetness, as their lives begin to unfold. Bottom line: The buck stops here for this reason: Our kids deserve to be raised in a world where role modeling adults make it our business to gain insight into cleaning up after ourselves.
What good did I do by getting mad and pushing my cousin down into the grass?
Everyone gets mad, but when one person puts another down, very few turn the other cheek. So pushers get pushed back until we recognize the part we all play in this negative cycle, which is in need of positively focused attitudes that will turn distrust around—because, in addition to timing—attitude is everything.
I no longer get embroiled when 'power strugglers' shrug off accountability by denying reality. I no longer cringe at the fact that people, who lose sight of the bigger picture, also lose those they love most—repeatedly—because I accept the fact that in lieu of insight, negative history will repeat itself.
I accept the fact that the same human nature that is hard wired to turn life upside down—is hard wired to turn life sunny side up, again! So once the negative side of human nature spins our world off it's axis, it's up to the positive side of human nature to sound the alarm—and that's where I enter, stage right, walk up to a podium, and share that which alarms me about negative attitudes our children are watching adults embrace, today.
In short, I have a lot on my mind. And what's uppermost on my mind is the start of a grass roots movement, which I've mentioned before, and which I'll mention again, because in truth, our value system has become as corrupt as the under belly of our 'governators—meaning that our elected officials actually do represent more of us than we'd like to admit.
If you really want to know what's wrong with youth then look into the value system that our generation has been modeling, blindly, for our kids. As my stories compare the value system, which had once upheld our nation's strengths and the value system that we've come to accept—reeking of cheating, drunkenness, graft, drug cartels and greed at every level of the social strata—your awareness may deepen in terms of working, together, toward creating problem solving solutions across the expanse of our nation.
And just as we'd be wise to learn about both sides of human nature, we'd be wise to delve into mind manipulation as well as denial. We'd be wise to differentiate between values and priorities. And at the rate that we're burning our institutions down to the ground, we'd be wise to rally round, ring the bell, sound the alarm, wake up, smell the coffee, turn on the lights and begin to put out fires, fast—in home after home—or else! Or else what? Or else we can keep our eyes tightly shut, remain in the dark, deny the truth as it stands, and joining hands, we'll circle round and round, getting no place fast, singing: Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!
As we tell children: it's our choice. And depending upon which circle you choose to join up with will determine whether positive or negative consequences close in on us all.
For example: If the positive side of human nature models more fire-fighting techniques then fewer of us will pay the price of little-monkey-seeing-big-monkey-double-dealing. So-when-little-monkey-grows-up-to-be-tomorrow's-leader-old-monkey-won't-have-to-worry-that-what-goes-around-comes-around. And if you stop to think about it, every bit of the bigger picture that I just colored in makes perfect sense.
What doesn't make sense is the fact that no one can figure out what really goes down inside our financial institutions. (Remember that piece of art, separating from the wall, unexpectedly sliding straight down to my living room floor? What if someone, who had been standing right there, had seen that bigger picture sliding down, and had chosen to rant and rave and jump around, while doing little to stop our world from crashing to the ground?
In truth, I do not feel the need to point fingers of blame at governing officials, financial institutions, entertainment and sports stars and CEO's. Instead, I feel the need to address immediate gratification, credit card debit, and the rampant nature of disrespect, leading to a dearth of good faith and thus, the demise of trust. I feel the need to rebuild crumbling pillars of friendship by shoring up personal strengths. I wish to know the five commandments that Moses dropped in Mel Brooks' THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I, because no one pays any mind to the first ten, so maybe the success of the first ten relied up on those shattered five. Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men? Da Shadow knows ...
How many affairs lead to divorce?
How many trillions of dollars are we in debt?
How bizarre is it that we don't have a clue as to how we'll finance the rebuilding of cities destroyed by violent changes in climate or war throughout the world? Oh—wait! Maybe rock stars, sports stars, film stars, oil barons and—CEO's will really open their coffers and pour millions—no billions—into social relief! Now there's an idea!
Do you really believe any President can rebuild our nation's crumbling pillars of strength within the span of four years or even eight? Is D.C. a white washed version of the Emerald City? Isn't the President, like those who make up congress, 'one' of us?
When you wish upon a star, clap your hands, or click your ruby red Louboutin CFM spikes three times, do fairy tales comes true? Do good things come to those who wait? Or to those who work at solving problems patiently and creatively by setting long term goals?
When it comes to achieving long term goals, do you really believe peace in the Middle East will be won during our lifetime? Or do distrustful attitudes transform, little by little, after trust worthy actions ring true? Canst thou trust he who threatens to push thee into the sea? And what of our need for oil? And clean air? Lots of tricky Dicks at play. Oy Vey!
How long can we pass the buck before each of us dives beneath the surface, opens our eyes, and clearly sees everything that's in need of change in our homes, down the street, on block after block—no tunneling necessary—just open your eyes, because our institutions are barreling down hill in plain sight.
Life is not a mountain to be climbed. Life is an on-going mountain range. And one look at history suggests that life is supported by value systems, which are always in the process of cycling round. And just like anything that moves from one stage to another:
Our value system is in dire need of a thorough over haul!
Remember The might of Rome? It's rise? It's orgies? It's fall? One look at our Great Society suggests that we are worshipping gladiators in brand new, multimillion dollar coliseums ... I mean stadiums. Believe it or not, one ball park parks it's fans in a swimming pool! Remember Louie, Marie, Versailles, shimmering with bling, courting disaster—all guillotined? Our mantra, today, is: Bigger bling, Better bling, More bling! And—what goes up must ... it's nature's way.
If human nature hath two sides then turning points must be recognized before breaking points take everyone down. It's elementary. That's life!
So what say you, Watson? Lots of clues to discover. Lots of underbellies to uncover? The blame-game stops here!
Whoa! Sure seems like I got on a roll and lost track of my LINE OF CONTROL!
Sorry for dumping frustration on you ...
On the other hand, if anything I've said stirs up anything resembling a rant within you, I'd sure like to know what you're thinking, too ... like how often do you think to floss? And did you know that teeth are like friends in that you don't have to take good care of them all—just the ones you want to keep. (Sign on ceiling in my dentist's office—very clever!) Lots to chew on. Tomorrow. As for tonight? Time to sleep. Sweet dreams. :-)
