Do Better

I couldn’t wait to become an adult and do better with the world’s sad condition. I just felt I could fix the problems like war, poverty and so much more. A student for much of my life (then!), a reader and observer, I could see what was wrong and had a good idea of why it was that way. Heady thoughts for a teenager, and then an early 20-something.

But then, youth is often ebullient about the future. After all, there is so much of it, the future. At least for them. 

The rest of us often recall how the world came to be in a mess. We watched it happen. We were flummoxed by it. We didn’t know what to do to make it better. We elected people to handle complicated things. We trusted people of wealth who owned and ran corporations. We continued with our daily lives making the best of things in that department of life, but then we really didn’t have much effect on the rest of it all.

As we end 2022, we have an ebbing pandemic that still shows signs of life. We have a gazillion young people in enormous debt for their educations. We have middle adults building careers and wealth. There are maturing folk preparing for retirement. Others fiddle and faddle with short term enjoyments, while still others plan trips of fancy to discover what they had hoped they would find when much younger.

I was certain I could do better, and my compatriots. The young, after all, had more information to work with. Generations had gathered the knowledge and ideas to improve upon the world. And yet, we did not do much. No lasting effect proved better than earlier times. I wonder why that is.

I won’t feel the pain of ecological disaster. I’m too old for that. But my kids will. And their kids. That matters. A lot. Why then can’t we find answers to large problems?

Russia is bombing the hell out of Ukraine. China threatens Taiwan. India and Pakistan remain hostile to one another. Palestinians and Israelites are at each other’s throats. The Middle Eastern countries war among themselves. Economic interests continue to warp the world community into factions that matter little in the grand scheme of things.

The grandest problem of them all – eco disaster – remains a discussion point but with little meaningful action. Why are we so powerless to change this issue?

Perhaps it is human nature? Perhaps better nature is not to be? But so many do so much for so many others. That is good work. Why not more good work that benefits us all and generations yet to be?

We do have answers to much that ails us. We know the why. We know the what. All we need is to agree on the outcome most desired.

Why is that so hard? What are we missing here?

We have yet another new year in which to discover the answers. Will we at least try?

December 30, 2022

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intimacy

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...
Read more

Bits & Pieces

Pie: Apple pie more specifically. With Thanksgiving just passed, many of us enjoyed a good apple pie. Sure, there was pumpkin to accompany the turkey, but in our family multiple pies are offered in the holidays. Apple is surely one. Pecan, pumpkin and others, too. But I almost always choose apple. When I was in college, I was asked what kind of pie did I eat most often. In front of my mom, I answered apple, because I was always looking for a pie as good as mom’s own. Of course my mother was pleased, but it was a true statement just the same. When I was married, Ann’s pie was darned good. Her mother’s recipe. But we fiddled with the recipe until it took on its own generational name, and boy, was it good! Today I still order apple pie for dessert because I am always looking for a great pie to challenge our family recipes. I rarely do find such a prize. Do others do the same? Do you search for a great pie of choice, continually? If you do, what’s your story? Why do you do this? ...
Read more

Remembering Tom Sherlock

Tom Sherlock died on Wednesday, April 3rd. He was 65 years old and did not survive a heart surgery. That was his unexpected end and sad enough. But there is more to his story. Tom joined Dan Schuyler and George Safford to create what became the Village Chronicles, a weekly newspaper serving Warrenville, Illinois. That paper expanded to serve Winfield and then West Chicago. The paper published for eight years and built a good reputation for itself. Tom served the paper in several ways. He was our information technology guru, provided hardware and software to support the paper's operations. He was our sole bookkeeper, accountant and financial manager. He designed our distribution process and provided office space for meetings and layout and typesetting. His efforts supported the work of 32 volunteers who wrote and reported on the communities we served.  The newspaper broke even financially most of the time, but it was a struggle. Tom managed to find money to keep the newspaper afloat...
Read more