Some Changes

It is hard to write about change- you'd think that it would be easy. after all I have to look no further than the tip of my pointing finger to see that in a most real sense. it is not change I seek as a person at all but rather the perpetuation of my own goals and dreams. At a time when everyone has "change" on the brain, I must ask myself if I, for one, am capable of embracing such a noble and selfless path.

"Everybody want to go to heaven, but nobody want to die" call it what you want, but the reality is that we are not likely to go easily into that good night of prosperity and security without exposing ourselves to some wounds in the process...

For a change- We might begin to look at our individual happiness as a collective effort. Our very society depends on a common well-being,

and as part of that society, we would do well to look at the fact that any weak part of the whole affects the whole. Maybe there is something to be said about the weakness of diversity- we continually insist that America's strength lies in its diversity, yet I wonder if we communicate as well as a country that has a more common language ? Differences being what they are, I wonder where the advantages end and the disconnection begins. As long as my own advancement is my only focus, as long as my gas, my health, my children, my home, and my money are all that matter to me, I will continue to suffer the poverty of those in my society that are less fortunate.

For a change- we might consider the rejection of fearful attitudes concerning our society, and begin to reverse the attitudes of post 9-11 America. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". I fear we have become too critical of those not like us, too quick to rush to judgment when an accusation is made, too quick to seek vindication when a transgression has occurred, and too unwilling to forgive.

We call for punishment, and insist upon accountability. We are afraid, and our response is to isolate ourselves, and attack others.

For a change- we might adopt the position that it is our responsibility not only to help others, but should be our desire to do so. I've got my own problems, and so do you- but I bet you we still have something the other can use. We have given that charge to government in the past, and, as always we refuse to embrace the reality that our society works best when the haves support the have nots', the the fortunate help the disadvantaged, the strong support the weak. Its only a tax increase, and we have learned to live with them, even fo4r the things we absolutely oppose.

We should CHANGE, for a change.