Seeing Clearly Now

Johnny Nash released his song I Can See Clearly Now in 1972. With the dark clouds gone, a bright sunny day, he could see clearly now. The pain was gone, the doubts were set aside, and he could see clearly now. That theme – conquering the negative and adopting the positive – allows us to see the ‘rainbows we've been praying for’. And we really do see more clearly!

Somewhat similarly, Henry David Thoreau said:

            “It is not what you look at that matters; it is what you see.”

We look at a lot of things, witness much more, but we see little unless it makes an impression on our minds. On the other hand we can train ourselves to pay attention to what is in front of us and see it more clearly. What does that mean? Well, for me it means I notice the whole of a view and see how it fits in with its context, its overall meaning, and the impact it will have going forward. Some people see a young child toddling along; others see and know he is just learning to walk and improving step by step; this will mean a fully independent person one day, learning lessons, learning the ‘how to’ and all the developmental steps he will need to know to become the full human being we hope him to be.

Ignoring these sights and their meaning impoverishes the richness of life’s fabric stretching before our very faces. What is it we see? What do we appreciate? What ideas do we take with us and use day after day, and recall over and over again?

Here’s something simple to demonstrate the point.  Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘liberal’ this way:

“lib’er-al, I.a 1. Possessing or manifesting a free and generous heart; bountiful. 2. Appropriate and/or fitting for a broad and enlightened mind. 3. Free from narrowness, bigotry or bondage to authority or creed. II.n.1. Any person who advocates liberty of thought, speech or action.”

How many other definitions of ‘liberal’ do you know? How many people turn this definition on its ear and upside down to mean something negative, anti-American, political, maybe even nasty?  In the political climate of our nation today we know the negative bent of such discussion. Liberal is the enemy; the spender, the wrecker of free enterprise, and the list goes on and on.

It shouldn't go on and on. All things taken to distortion have little basis of the original meaning of the terms. Does the term ‘liberal’ deserve mistreatment? Does ‘conservative’ deserve the same?  I doubt it. Only people with massive agendas and narrow hearts demean the definitions of these words. Such folks bring dishonor on themselves.

I’m reminded often of the culture of Native Americans.  Here are their Ten Commandments:

1.      Treat the earth and all that dwell thereon with respect

2.      Remain close to the Great Spirit

3.      Show great respect for your fellow beings

4.      Work together for the benefit of all humankind

5.      Give assistance and kindness wherever needed

6.      Do what you know to be right

7.      Look after the well-being of mind and body

8.      Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good

9.      Be truthful and honest at all times

10.  Take full responsibility for your actions”

Simplicity, self responsibility, personal action. It’s on me, life is. It’s not on others. I have to live in the real world, take responsibility for my own actions and assist others to do the same. Together we will make the best of it. All the greatest religions on this planet have taught similar lessons. Yet we have troubles unending because we don’t live the lessons were learned.

Do we see what’s in front of us? Do we value it? Do we understand it? Am I over-complicating life? Or maybe over simplifying it?

I hope not. I do think it is basic and simple.

The Dalai Lama cautions us:

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know; but when you listen, you may learn something new.”

That is the trick. Listen. See. Think. Learn.

By doing this, we all ‘can see clearly now.”

Or be moving in that direction! We can only hope. And work at it!!

September 30, 2014

Finding Answers

Here I sit. At a keyboard. The same keyboard layout I learned in high school (10^th grade?). Through the years I became a whiz on the typewriter. As those machines became electrified and then digitalized and finally computerized, I learned to compose at the keyboard. One word after the other. Then whole sentences, finally entire paragraphs.

Whole thoughts with leaps of logic that propelled the ideas forward faster than I could type. This still happens. Leaves me in the dust! Sometimes I sit scratching my head wondering where I was going with an idea and realized I am literally in the dust. No where. Alone with partial ideas and the thread of the longer view has been lost. Only a trajectory left.

Well, one day I might find that thread and complete the thought…

Who knows? It might have been the secret to world peace, or a cancer cure (not likely), or the missing link for universal happiness.  Oh well; I’ll just have to get back to that another time.

Finding answers. It begins with realizing we don’t know a critical ‘something’ and begin to look for it. Asking the questions is part of the process. Asking the right questions is the key to success. In my decades of consulting and organizational development I've learned that the answers are nowhere as important as forming the right questions.

It begins with the simple formula: what do I not know? What are the critical elements missing? Can I even define them? What do I need to know? Where might I find them? When I find answers how do I know they are satisfying what I set out to find?

This is the basic research process. What is the hypothesis? What is the goal? What is the process? How do I know when I've reached the goal?

Without the process we might keep searching endlessly while all along the answer was right there in front of our face.

The biggest mysteries still require basic logic and process to solve. The solutions are usually quite simple with hindsight. What we were looking for was right under my nose all the time!

Winnowing out the possibilities is part of the process, of course; and that takes time but the final answer usually pops out and proves our case suddenly. The process gave it up. It  just takes our discipline to keep at it doggedly until the elements fall into place.

For now we need to identify the problem in need of solution. There are so many to choose among. And there are many teams of people and institutions (and industries!) seeking solutions to many problems already. What can I possibly focus on? What is my task to embrace?

My experience tells me it is me!  What I don’t know at any given time are the dimensions of what I am capable of doing, of accomplishing. One thing I know for certain is I need the collaboration of many other people to accomplish much of anything. So it is imperative that I map my own capabilities realistically first, then seek help, and demonstrate my trust and faith in others to build a good team of collaborators. That process alone magnifies the capabilities of each of us and all of us all at the same time.

Being role models to others helps the others. And myself. At the same moment. It is a means of parenthood, teaching, research, ministry, and diplomacy, to name a few but potent examples. Who and what we are is demonstrated by how we interact with others and what we do in tasks. We teach by doing and being. It’s up to the others to discern the lessons and acquire their own skills.

Completing that circle of logic is an answer. But the question? That is what is begged. Always!

September 29, 2014

Thought for the Day

A brief post today. Something to think about for sure!

            “The only two presidents that reduced the deficit in the last 50 years.[Bill

            Clinton and Barack Obama]” ~ CADOF.org

Think about that as we enter this contentious election season.

September 27, 2014

Saying It Straight

Writing this blog for nearly three years I've come across lots of opinions about life and politics. So many opinions shared. So many pontifications! A lot of ranting. And I've done my share as well. But then the purpose of this blog for me is to vent my inner self, capture some fresh air and move on.

I share with you the thoughts of others when I spot something with special value. Usually those thoughts are to the point and well stated. Easy to remember.

Here is just such a quote. This one is from my daughter-in-law Michelle.

            “Nothing spurred this, just a thought pattern, I don't typically post about 'hot

button' items but hell, everyone else spews their opinions on this stuff, I might as well –

1) you should be able to spank your children if that is the discipline style you choose without fear of legal repercussion
2) you should be able to own a gun if you are a sane, law abiding citizen without being told you are a violent person
3) you should not have to defend your lifestyle to anyone
4) you should be provided with good medical care and education regardless of your income level
5) you should not have politicians involved in your family life
6) companies are not people and should not be treated as such

7) I would not personally choose abortion outside of medical necessity but I believe in a woman or couple's right to choose for themselves and I will not condemn those that choose that path

These are many of my beliefs, if you don't like it, unfriend me. If you would like to have an intelligent conversation I will gladly engage. If you mindlessly spew "facts" without doing the appropriate research, just walk away, you will only sound like a fool.”   ~Michelle Falco

Direct and to the point. On many issues. Most of those issues have been covered in my blog over the past 35 months. Some topics revisited often.  Michelle and I get along well. We agree often; disagree rarely, but accept those points of dissonance. We each have that right.

Why then so much disruption over disagreement in our land? Good question!

Some folks want you to believe as they do; they assume you just haven’t had the same access to the facts as they; or perhaps your education is deficient and they are there to set you straight. You know the kind. They don’t listen to others very well. They listen only as far as they need to determine if you agree with them. Then their minds are bent on setting you straight. They stop listening to your why and how-for and only dialog with their inner self to win an argument. But there is no argument. Only the one brewing in their skull.

Discussions built around agreements become boring in short order. Conversations constructed around disparate views is exciting, informative and motivating.  The motivation is to learn more, to understand a person’s perspective from their vantage point. How did they come by that viewpoint? What gave it shape for them?

I wonder if we understand how we came by our own perspectives?  Do we think on that often enough or even at all? Perhaps that’s the starting point for getting along with others.

Diplomats deal with this dissonance all the time. Their job is to get conversations started, then supported, then moved to the point of agreeing on some point upon which later agreements might be fashioned. It is all about getting along in the world. And we won’t if we don’t listen and compromise.

It doesn't take action to listen. But it is certain that compromise is impossible without listening.

Now there’s a thought for the day!  Thanks, Michelle for sharing your thoughts with us.

September 26, 2014

Attracting Volunteers & Candidates

America is a land of volunteers. Especially true at local levels. Just ask the busy people in town and you will find people doing volunteer work – boy and girl scout troop leaders, gardening clubs and their beautification efforts for the town, musicians playing instruments and singing in choirs at the churches, hot meals for the shut ins, usually organized by the churches, food pantries, after school activities for kids, and a host of other programs and projects. Mostly all voluntarily suggested, created and implemented. 

The horsepower of successful communities are volunteers.

Visit your city hall and ask about volunteer opportunities. You will be presented with a list! There are committees, commissions and special projects all looking for volunteers. Visit the park district and you will learn of volunteer coaching assignments for several sports, day care gigs as well as senior citizen day care tasks. Talk with the library staff and the same kinds of volunteer jobs are begging for fresh new blood!  And the hospital. They especially need a strong supply of candy stripers and gray and blue vest workers guiding and welcoming patients and family members to the big, confusing, complex building. All for no pay.

And then there are the elected positions. Although they are not voluntary in the sense of self appointment, they begin with the voluntary decision to get involved and put their name in the hat! Deciding to run for public office is a big leap of faith. First, you must have confidence in yourself that you have something to offer to the position, and second, you must have faith that the voters will be fair in considering their vote for you.  If the position has more than one candidate, there will be public information meetings, possibly debates, and campaign literature, advertising and walking the neighborhoods looking for supporters.

In contested elections candidates have to gird themselves for the negative attacks frequently launched by one candidate against another. And the supporters of those candidates can become over zealous in their support and take the campaign where no one wants to go!

Such is life these days. You want to help the community, you wish to make a difference, and you honestly think you have something good to offer the community, then it gets thrown back at you and you begin to wonder what this is all about.

Been there. Done that! I've run and won a seat on our city council; running for re-election I had a serious contender who played dirty. I was not prepared for that. You’d have thought he was running for the Senate!  But no, this was a small local position usually considered boring by most voters. But still a needed position with important work to do.

Volunteering my time, talents and efforts to the community was one thing. Dealing with nasty attack rhetoric and whisper campaigns was totally something else. Insulting, really. You see I’m gay and fairly open about it. I don’t advertise it because many people are sensitive to the subject. So I live my life openly and if someone wishes to talk about it with me I’m more than willing to do so.

In political circumstances, however, such talk is done quietly, secretly with rolling eyes and sly nodding of head and shoulders. You know the message: you don’t really want a gay person on the city council, do you? Well, they did the first time with no fanfare, and they saw what they got for four years with complete transparency.  But the secret campaign worked and I was not re-elected.

A couple of years later I was appointed to a vacant board position on the park board of commissioners. One year later I ran for the seat in the open election, won, and four years later was re-elected to the same spot. Quiet service to the community, no political fanfare, just a good job well done by all on the board. That’s the way it should be. These are service positions, after all, not life-long careers with pay or any benefits. Just service.

The city council gig did pay a modest stipend ($400 per month) and that mostly covered gas, wear and tear on the car, and the price of many books and data subscriptions so I could study up on topics and be prepared for emerging issues. But the money, you see, made people think aldermen were feathering their nests and thus should be given the bum’s rush!  How dumb can they be?  Pretty dumb, really! 

Very dumb. Take this discussion to the state and national level and you see what I mean? Running for public office is a high contact sport in America. Don’t expect to be respected or loved! God forbid! Don’t help the officeholder do his/her job with fresh information and voluntary help. Just sit on the sidelines and complain and attack.

I truly don’t understand why there are any people willing to run for public office. Consider just congressmen: they are required by the US Constitution to run for re-election every two years. This is supposed to keep them focused on doing the people’s work so they can be judged competent. Instead, the congressmen are perpetually involved in their re-election campaign.  They are always raising money for campaigning, selling votes to big donors and special interest groups, and then following the political party line so they get cooperation from the party in funding their next election as well.

The end result usually is a congressman who does not represent the best interests of his district or the nation.  But without money or party support, others will run against you and destroy your reputation with stories and attacks that are not based on facts at all. It is heinous, and it will lead to the destruction of our national credibility and sustainability if it isn't solved.

Forget about running for governor of your state, or the US Senator from your state, or for President. The stakes are enormous and so the fight gets really dirty. Fast. And so terribly counter to factual evidence.

It’s a pity that we don’t do better. We can do better. And we must do better. Doing that begins with each of us doing more volunteer work and understanding the issues from the inside. Then you will be prepared to run for office – large or small – and possibly run later for a more leadership oriented position. Perhaps that position will help you help the nation back to a more pleasant and honest political environment?

I doubt this will be a fast process. I doubt I will live long enough to see it. But I have done my part and will continue to volunteer for interesting tasks. But elections? Not again. I’m too old. That sport is for young people. But intelligent, involved people will vote for the best people because their experience makes that possible.

Try it! You might like it!

September 25, 2014

What’s Important?

The news is filled with many topics. Some are interesting, some funny, and others gossipy. Still others are educational, inspirational or downright newsworthy. Of the latter I would include the following:

• Ebola outbreak; when is it classified a plague?
• ISIS rampage across Syria, Iraq; where will it extend to?
• World response to ISIS; will multi-lateral forces strafing ISIS in foreign territory increase change of a regional war?  Why is Saudi Arabia sitting this out?
• State of International Peace: what are the trouble spots? (Iran nuclear program; Syria civil war; Libya civil war; Egypt leadership challenges; African nations and their leadership issues; et.al.)
• Russian adventures to unsettle eastern Europe; re-sovietization?
• North Korea and who will maintain peace in the region for the international community?
• Global warming, climate change
• Economics 2014 and 2015: where are we headed and when? How can we improve on the results? Wealth gap issues? Middle Class survival?
• Technology: tool or master of our destiny?
• Educational health of our nation: are students getting what they need to succeed? What age students?
• Global Community, Global Economy? Do all prosper?
• Persistent drought conditions; where? How to manage the issues, repair the damage, and solve the problem long term?
• World Health and Medical Service Access: how do we raise the level of health care for the most people on Earth? Who bears the responsibility and cost?  Leadership?
• Arts: what role does it play in human destiny, health, and life quality?
• Energy independence globally: how do we meet our own needs and help other nations to do the same?
• Housing: What is the new norm? What standards should be followed? How do living standards globally get improved? Who leads?

This list can go on and it should. The list should then be categorized to some extent for solid focus, then prioritized as to which ones are truly most important for the long term good of humankind. 

With that list interested people could commit to do something about the topics to improve on them, to improve on the history of mankind.  Wouldn't that be nice!

However – you knew there was a however! – we are subjected to endless celebrity news,

Interesting tidbits about fashion, food, wine, travel and much more. Interesting to some, of course; but fascinating and life changing?  Hardly. No there are other things we ought to matter to us.

Instead we are distracted by the things that allure to the lowest common denominator among us.  Pitiful.

There are real issues and real goals we ought to be working on. That work is challenging, fun and rewarding all in its own way. In some fashion or other I've been about that most of my life. I haven’t always focused on the most important, but in the end what I have done matters to others. That’s all I can wish for.  And I feel pretty certain the wish will come true.

Can you tell the world that what you have focused your life on has made a difference in the lives of others? Even a little?  Bravo!

Now about the others,…

September 24, 2014

Media Fare

What we are exposed to daily by the media is quite an array of topics. That’s an understatement!

Sports seem to be a seasonal favorite throughout the year. Currently autumn football action is a big deal in the USA.  It’s colorful, action oriented and interesting to witness the athletic prowess, mental strategies of the game as well as the movement on a big screen TV.

But I am not a sports enthusiast. Not in fall, summer, spring or winter. I like the Olympic winter games probably more than the others, but then I’m sitting in my warm home viewing the quaint wintry exhibitions of others out in the cold! For some reason it makes me feel cozy.

Baseball for me is boring. Watching a game on TV is better than being in the ballpark. Fewer distractions on the TV and more focus on the game. Still, it feels like watching paint dry. I know my comment won’t sit well with sports fans, but hey, there are a gazillion people just like me so get over it!

The only good thing about baseball for me is its arrival on the seasonal calendar means winter is over and outdoor activities beckon with warmer days and sunny skies.

So, sports don’t do much for me. I care which cities have winning teams for different sports. It makes them feel better about their community. That’s a good thing, so I pay attention to that. But I really don’t follow sports. At all. I’d like their presence in my newspaper or internet home page to be devoid of this distraction. I have other things I’m interested in.

The Kardashians seem to be everywhere and that’s the problem for me. I don’t know these people, nor do I care much for them. From what I read and see they don’t produce anything, improve on anything, or empower the world, so they seem to be a national Facebook item that’s gone viral!  Enough. They are not news.

Same for most society items. Those are not news unless it is local. Celebrity news, too. They are nice people and talented. They share their talents with us in the form of their art and entertainment. They get well paid for those efforts. I really don’t need to know their marriage is in tatters, or they are having an affair with someone, or any of that rot.  I wish them well and hope their lives are happy and not filled with obsessions or addictions with various behaviors and substances. On the same hand I don’t wish to be informed of those troubles should they encounter them.

Oh, I’m not much interested in hearing someone’s opinion on what happened, either. I do want to know what happened. I want to wrestle with whether this happening is important and why, but I don’t need someone immediately to tell me that. I want to work that out for myself first. Later, I will search out expertise and their ‘take’ on the matter. This action will help me round out my understanding of the matter and keep me an independent thinker who tests his opinions against experts.

Here’s my ideal news outlet’s content: Weather forecast (do I need an umbrella, boots or a heavier coat); sports scores in tabular form I can scan or skip, nothing more; world events of high impact (wars, peace talks, emergent leaders, etc); regional/national news of high impact; local news; amazing new entertainment/arts events and access to more information on those events if I’m interested; science news; education news; business and economics news.

That’s it. All of that I can research to my heart’s content and feed my own interests. Along the way I can connect, mix or disconnect several items as they interrelate or not. It is that circular interplay of differing topics in which moments of genius are encountered and developed. We all need more opportunity for that to occur.

Today’s media seems to think we don’t think and need to be fed a constant stream of predigested food! News or food, either predigested is disgusting!

So the internet so far serves me better than a newspaper. Even so I am challenged to scan much content and skip a lot of it.

Media are reinventing their genre. It is painful for them and us during this period. Oh how I wish they’d find their place, soon!

September 23, 2014

United Kingdom

I am glad that Scotland voted to remain in the UK family. Being and American I don’t pretend to understand what the whole vote embraced but I feel certain that working together in a unified family of nations is more productive than going their separate ways.

I understand each nation must be firm in its identity. I was unaware that there were tensions in the UK over such identity, especially for Scotland.  For that I am sad.

The vote stirred quite a ruckus. People talked about the issues and emotions of dissolving the union. That will prove to be advantageous, I think. The vote may be over but the dialog must continue.

Scottish national identity needs some work.  They must ask themselves who they are and what makes them uniquely Scot. Also, they need to work on the long term vision of their nation – 20 years from now how will Scotland be viewed? How do they want it to be viewed?

Scotland has a long and proud history. That history has led to the present day. How well is Scotland today? How would Scots describe their present day situation?  Does that beg for changes to launch a strong and alluring future?  What should that future be?  How do they make that happen?

Struggling with these discussions is hard enough for a small organization or business firm. For a whole nation to engage such a process is complexity magnified!  Daunting really. But still necessary.  America would do well to do this, too!

A healthy analysis will lead to a broader understanding among all Scots. From that vantage point all sorts of good things are possible. Collaboration and cooperation among a diverse national population is needed for true progress to result.

It won’t be easy but it is inescapable.  Each citizen needs to engage the process and conversation. They will need to feel a part of the process for it to be successful.

I wish them the best of outcomes. It will lead to a strong and fruitful future for the nation.

The rest of the global community will be watching as well. All nations need to pay attention to their own people, their dreams and hopes. Governing is about the common weal of the people. Without that there is no national identity. Or spirit.

September 22, 2014

Thought for the Day

A complex thought for this day:

            “President Obama didn't invite immigrants to come to the U.S.

            She [Lady Liberty] did.

            Give me your tired, your poor, you huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Our arms are open in welcome, or should be. Our mood is open in justice, or should be. Our intent is open in love, or should be.

Or else how can we be Americans?

Or citizens of the world for that matter?!

September 20, 2014

Quality of Life

Life has many joys contained within it.  Among them – birth of a child, wedding day, career development and promotions, new home, new car, graduation from college, grad school, and many more hallmarks of a life growing in reach and promise.

There are other joys as well. These are often more difficult to catalog but some would include – the enticement of nature in the woods and forests, hiking mountains and back country locales, camping, traveling, smelling fresh air, drinking clean, clear water, growing one’s own food and relishing in its abundant flavors and textures and colors, hearing music that talks with the inner brain and forms more complex thoughts, encountering art in public places, and smells and touches and all the other senses. In rich abandon we can experience life.

But we must be attuned to it to receive it.

To smell the air, to feel the breeze, the soft humidity of an October afternoon – one must be free of distractions that hide the simple pleasures.

Hot and thirsty in a summer’s afternoon? The freshly made lemonade iced to perfection is a special treat! Perhaps at no other time do we truly experience it fully!? The same goes for a perfectly cooked steak or other treat when anticipated and the appetite properly focused. Or the aroma of freshly baked bread. Or an apple pie just about ready in the oven?  Remember those aromas? Recall your reactions then? The taste buds aroused and saliva running? Oh the expectation and excitement!

These are elements of a quality of life. These are the things that bring a simple joy and appreciation to our consciousness.

Living in a busy, noisy urban area we are often in need of a vacation that takes us away from the dirty air, the noisy surroundings, the frustrating traffic tie-ups, the tension of crammed schedules and calendars. And once on vacation in a quiet place, we are more aware of the sunrises and sunsets, the cleaner air, the appreciation of a passing thunderstorm, clean fresh water and tranquil settings of farm, field and forest.

These qualities of life we have with us most of the time. We just don’t notice them because our days are busy. We are distracted. By problems, dramas, financial pressures, family needs and so much more.

Distracted. The good often suffocated by more complex things dominating our lives.

Wealth can provide some of the simple qualities of life, but most of the time getting and maintaining the wealth distracts us from the things we want and need most.  Poverty and provide a simpler life that allows their enjoyment, their notice. But poverty also brings pressures that distract – unemployment, unpaid bills, insufficient income, poor health and housing and no way of repairing same.

For those who have the time and leisure, there is ability to enjoy the common, ordinary qualities of life others miss out on. 

‘Take time to smell the roses,’ we are advised from time to time. But do we?

In churches throughout the nation we are advised to take time for daily reflection and meditation. To some folks that is a time for prayer; for most it is a time to think about the day, the quiet moments, and the chance to relax in short lived peace.

We are well advised to also stop from time to time to smell the aromas surrounding us. Some will be pleasant, others not. But those smells are witness to the life going on around us.

The same for breathing in fresh air deeply, and slowly exhaling it. Deep breaths taken throughout the day are calming and energizing.  

Savoring a glass of fresh water, or a light meal and tasting the subtle flavors. A salad comes to life unexpectedly! A simple bowl of soup is savory and warming and life-giving. Listening to music during a stressful day, or on the commute home, or while walking or jogging. Music. The challenge of hearing order and harmonies in a challenging day.

These are simple things. These are simple joys of life.  To hear them, feel them, taste them – we must be ready for them. We have to be attuned to their being. We must be disciplined to find the time to experience them.

This does not take money. Or poverty. It takes being.

Be fully present in this day!

September 19, 2014

Wealth Gap

Many Americans bewail the growing gap between the haves and have-nots.  They are becoming more embarrassed by the enormous wealth accumulated by the few while the rest of society continues to be reduced in savings, earnings and all the rest.

Note: this situation does not necessarily mean a declining quality of life, although for many it does!  More on this in a later post.

The wealthiest Americans used to be counted in the top 5 to 10% of households. Usually these people were counted because of their high incomes. Wealth of course has many components – income, accumulated financial assets, large homes or estates, life styles that include long and costly vacations, whirlwinds of social activities at expensive restaurants and night spots, as well as jewelry, clothes and a fleet of posh automobiles, and planes! 

It is the latter that are viewed as the truly rich. And this number continues to grow. We used to think of millionaires as incredibly rich, but now it is the billionaires capturing our attention. Their rise in assets has been astounding. The sheer number of billionaires is surprising. We conclude that the rich are getting richer, even fabulously so.

That is not a bad thing in itself. It becomes bad when the rich are absorbing the wealth from tens of millions of others, and increasingly are influential enough to ensure this remains so.

It has been said often that the poor will always be with you. In fact that statement I believe comes directly from the Bible. But what numbers of poor are we to expect?  Recent statistics released by the US government report just under 15% of its population are poor. Nearly 20% of all children in the US live in poverty. On the positive side this is the first time that less than 15% of the population in America lived in poverty. The numbers have been much higher for a long, long time.

The poor often are structurally poor in their education, housing, geographic areas that are consistently lacking in economic growth opportunities and the like.  Certainly health conditions are part of this story as well. If a person has chronic illnesses, poor health care and limited health services available or poor or no health insurance coverage, their situation is almost always certain to result in continued poverty. The War On Poverty waged by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960’s was designed to end those causes of poverty. It was a grand fight but it failed in the end. It helped some, but poverty remained a stubborn embarrassment for America.

Today poverty takes on a different definition. It includes retirees, working poor, the unhealthy poor (under insured and burdened by high health care costs), and people once thought to be wealthy but no longer.

Today’s wealth gap is a product of timing and national policy.  Whether it continues will be argued and struggled with at the ballot box.

Legendary Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said:

“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”

He was correct when he uttered these words of wisdom, and he is correct today as the system has continued to careen out of control in the hands of the few for the benefit of the few.

As policy setters in Congress continue to set policy in favor of the wealthy in order to fund their re-election campaigns, poverty continues to grow in their own backyards.  It is reported that:

“97% of the 100 poorest counties in America are in red states [republican] but tell me again how republican policies grow the economy?” ~Author Unknown but found in a liberal website on the Internet

At some point such policies will become unsustainable. Worse, they will likely cause great social unrest that will cause major sections of the nation’s social systems to implode.  Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) has it right, I think:

            “Nobody who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.”

Amen to that!  Amen!

Addressing health care costs and adequate health care insurance coverage is a small beginning to address what’s wrong in America. The Affordable Care Act is a good step in the right direction. However, political opposition to the ACA continues to threaten its existence, and trimmed many early components of the proposed legislation. Conservatives and Republicans have waged war on the ACA from its inception. Either they are against President Obama on personal and political grounds, or they are protecting their political power source. Either is an insult to most American citizens.

The commonweal is the focus of government. Either the nation is healthy or not. It is not in the economic sense. And the justice sense. And the education sense. And the cultural sense. It must be faced that America is in trouble on many fronts.

To regain its health all Americans must be engaged in the process. And that means economically as well as employed, healthy, educated and all the rest.

This is our nation. It belongs to all of us. Not just the wealthy and the lucky.

But who is listening to this? Anyone?

September 18, 2014

Believing and You

I get it!  Life is a process. Our inner self emerges over time. And it takes a lot of time, a lifetime to give the process its full measure.  So, if you are hard on yourself for making a few wrong turns while ‘maturing’, let it be. Those are learning opportunities.  Like Joel Osteen cautions us,

“Quit beating yourself up. You are not a finished product. You are still a work in progress.”

It takes some time to learn this point. Often we encounter it even when we think we have learned the lesson well! How many gaffs have I made at weddings, funerals, yes even anniversaries and retirement parties!  The glib tongue seeks camaraderie and instead stumbles into deep embarrassment. Ugh!

Working out the snags and kinks in ‘the who we are’ department takes time and patience. Testing helps, too. Trying out new tempers and ideas works well if you choose the audience carefully!

Trying to be funny is a major trip point. Just think how hilarious Robin Williams was! He did and said things we dared not. His abandonment of carefulness became more daring and funny. Hilarious, even! Not us! We are unaccustomed to this form of humor. And our mistakes become evident quickly.

On a more serious note, George Orwell (1903 – 1950) the British author of 1984, provided this quote for our attention:

            “The people will believe what the media tells them they believe.”

If this is true, then what is belief? Or more exactly what do people actually believe? Do they parrot to others what they think will be acceptable, or what they recently read that sounded intelligent, or are they actually speaking what they do believe? And if the latter fits, at what stage of development is the belief?  Is it the product of years of experience and testing by the individual? Or is it a happenstance utterance with no foundation of feeling and understanding?

It is this incomplete personal investment of work that allows people to believe what they hear or read. Upon closer inspection those same people would more likely change their statements.

During heated political campaign seasons people do toss about political beliefs that are wholly inconsistent with the examples and analogies touted with them. It is clear they are delivering a scripted thought that follows someone they intend to vote for in the approaching election.

Rather they should give it time and thought. They might find that they have been given a line of baloney that is easily discounted.

As Michelle Obama has stated,

“Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.”

Your goals. Your beliefs. Your consistency of thought. Distracted easily from these? Then you may not be thinking deeply enough, or paying close attention, or perhaps are too distracted from who you really are. Being true to you is not easy work.  Far from it!

Of course we can ask ‘why do we care?’  That’s a good question. This quote from the internet is, of course, anonymous, but is a good place to close today:

“The older I get, the less I care about what people think of me. Therefore the older I get, the more I enjoy life.”

That depends on how you spend your time in your advancing age. If you spend it with lots of people you may need to practice diplomacy to get along and learn from them. Doing so proves you do care what others think. Besides, without that care you may miss out on much that you disagree on. Just think what you are missing!

September 17, 2014

Culture or Religion?

I spotted a quote on the internet the other day that made me stop and think (this happens a lot, but some moments are different from others).  This one was from Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), the historical figure in women’s right to vote.  She said:

“…You will find that every form of religion which has breathed upon this earth has degraded women…”

Upon encountering these words I felt this idea needed more thinking.  In her day Stanton was probably correct.  Women were counseled to follow their husbands in thought and deed. They were to take direction from them and be subservient to them.

Subservience to the Lord may be in the Bible somewhere, and many religions may have the same proscription for its followers, both male and female. However, the cultural context of religious creed did downplay the leadership role of women. Nuns in Roman Catholicism is a good example. Other religions, too. But even in 2014 Nuns have assumed a much more active role in the church. Oh sure the hierarchy keeps Nuns subservient to male leadership but I don’t think for much longer this will be true.

Cultural context is important in mapping change in society.  Women are a major force in most leading societies – both in the western world and European milieu. Women may play lesser leadership roles in other cultures but those, too, are changing – Africa, Malaysia, for example.

Religion and culture are deeply embedded in each other. That is both strength and curse. The yearnings of the downtrodden will rise to fulfill their destiny. Women have already done this in America and Europe. Elsewhere they will rise and share with men the world stage of leadership in religion, academia and statecraft. We have many examples of this throughout history. And it is an emergence that will not stop. We in America have experienced much of the emergence but there is much yet to be fulfilled!

Women are the backbone of most religions. They are the faithful and the doers. They are leaders in many capacities. They will one day exceed the balance of power within most creed societies. Rightly so. I hope Stanton would be pleased to witness these developments.

Will Wheaton is an actor and atheist. Back in 2006 he posted on his blog this statement:

“I’m so fed up with being told that I’m a bad person because I don’t subscribe to the same exact narrow views [Christians] have.”

“I also have nothing but contempt for the so-called spiritual leaders who prey upon [religious] people for their own personal financial or political gain.”

There is truth in what Wheaton claims, but actually that’s not the point of including his thoughts here.  My purpose is for religious or political groups to reflect on how they are perceived outside of their circle of influence.

Cultures include what is prevalent and believed by broad numbers of people. That does not make them right or better than others who don’t believe as they do.

What is important, I think, is that the opposing views brush up against each other in order that they find a balanced and realistic view of each other’s position. They just might find points of agreement. They may begin to see each other’s belief system in a broader context and be sensitive to it. This is a process that helps us support each other although very different from each other.

Diplomacy uses this process to understand others. That understanding can be used to build bridges of peace.

And that reminds me of another quote I bumped into the other day:

            “Be selective with your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right.”

                                    ~Anonymous

Doesn't that fit well here? Religion, creeds, political ideologies, nationhood – all offer many points of disagreement. But understanding a little bit more each day helps us respect those differences and helps us understand our own views better.

Peace. That’s what we should be aiming for. Not agreement. Peace. The two are very different.

So I’ll close with: Peace be with you!

September 16, 2014

Traffic Civility

I've wanted to address this topic for a long time.  It sort of follows the heading – “If I were King!” – you know, the kind of rules you’d make if you had all authority.  With respect now only to driving a car (or truck), here’s an old favorite of mine: No left turns unless a turning lane is provided. Now that makes sense.

The longer I live and drive in mounting traffic, the more this rule makes sense! Left turners clog up more intersections and impede traffic than any other traffic problem other than a flood.  They also create more accidents than any other cause.

Second, related to that one is: If a turn lane is available, get into it quickly! How many times have you witnessed a slow dance by the driver into his turning lane with concurrent slowing of speed when he could have merged into the lane early and quickly? The painted lane lines are not actual curbs over which you cannot drive. Please get yourself out of the flow of traffic as quickly and safely as you can.  This speeds up the rest of the vehicles and keeps you safe at the same time.

The third rule is this: Don’t be a target! This one is consistent with the previous two items. Getting out of the way is critical to keeping you safe, others safe around you, and maintaining traffic momentum.  Keeping your rear end in traffic is an open invitation to getting hit. Turning left when no signal or lane is provided for that maneuver is another invite to a crash. Get the picture?  Out of the way is safest.

Fourth, if you must make a left turn and no signal or lane is provided for same, then continue forward and make three right turns (go around the block) and you will be heading in the desired direction. This is basic logic and also an excellent use of geometry.

Fifth, if you are in unfamiliar territory and just realized you are missing your turn, keep moving forward and find a safe place to sit and get your bearings, or make a safe turn when such is available. At no time should you make a sudden correction of direction or slam on the brakes in order to make the turn you intended to make. This rule eliminates more invitations for an unintended crash meeting.

Sixth, when cruising on the open highway, especially a four lane divided one, keep to the right unless you are passing a slower vehicle. That is the law. You are not allowed to cruise in the left lane. That is only intended to allow safe passing of other vehicles. If the right lane is moving faster than the traffic in the left lane, then you know conditions are not proper and great caution is indicated on your part!  It also indicates you must be in Wisconsin!

Seventh, when you use the left lane to pass another vehicle, do not slow down, but continue moving forward at a speed greater than the vehicle you are passing.  Otherwise you are not passing; you are just cruising in the other vehicle’s blind spot and creating a colossal back up in the passing lane. That is dumb. Pass reasonably quickly and then move into the right lane to allow the traffic behind you to clear.

            Eighth, keep your speed up to the prevailing traffic flow unless you spot a peril that they don’t. If they crash because of the peril, then you saved yourself from a nasty situation. However, if there is no peril, don’t become one by driving slower than everyone else on the road. If you are nervous and uncomfortable, find a safe place to pull off the road, let traffic pass, then resume your trip. If you are still uncomfortable, get off the road until you do feel comfortable or find someone else to drive your car.  Slower traffic is often the cause of accidents. They remain unscathed but others trying to avoid you get involved in a crash.

Ninth, do not use your hands-on phone while driving; do not text while driving; and do not check your emails on your phone while driving. Electronic distractions are a growing menace and cause of accidents. Increasingly it is against the law and for good reason!

Tenth, do not apply make-up or prepare your computer records for your next business appointment while driving. We all see you do it! We know what you are doing. You are going to cause an accident most likely involving your car. We witness your erratic use of your lane, your inability to keep up with traffic and notice that something is not right. That’s when we know what you are up to!  Please, be prepared for driving without either of these two distractions.

A bonus rule: please eat your meals before entering your car. A drippy egg sandwich or juicy burger makes for a dirty shirt/blouse front as well as distracted driving.

An extra bonus rule: do not install your contact lens while driving.  I know this makes sense in more ways than one, but still……

Carry on!

September 15, 2014

Thought for the Day

Most of you know I am a supporter of the arts – performing and visual. I think they civilize our society and world. I think they help people express themselves in ways they cannot in any other manner.

And I think art has a primary role in education.  This quote from Sydney Gurewitz Clemens tells you why:

“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”

Over the weekend ponder this quote. Discover how art has shaped your life or enhanced it. And then consider how art is vital to young minds becoming well formed and self reliant.

September 13, 2014

Immigration Reform

I am not an expert on this issue.  I do not know the technical aspects of this issue – the law, the international protocols, and the ramifications for the American budget deficit and all the rest.

So I will address what I do know something about. Long term goal setting, big picture issue management.  Those two will do for a start.

In solve any problem, first it has to be defined. In this case I think the problem is: 12 million immigrants presently in our country illegally. There are many probably who feel this is an oversimplified definition.  OK then; what are the components that bother you and make you want to expand the definition of the problem?

I am aware that the cause of large numbers in the illegal immigration issue are many.  A porous national border with Mexico is one of the primary causes. But there are other causes. All need to be categorized and then analyzed to determine what can be done to stanch the flow of illegal immigrants into our country. With that analysis comes possible solutions. But already this discussion becomes overly complex.

We need to simplify the discussion. Agreed: we have a lot of illegal immigrants in America; they come from all over the world, not just Mexico. Also agreed, we are for immigrants of all stripes joining our national population. That is, after all, what America is about. It is who we are, where we got our start, and how we grew. It is also the secret to our getting along with so many nationalities throughout the globe. We are supporters of diversity, justice and equal rights among all of our people.

The issue, then, is not immigrants, but a regulated flow of immigrants to our land. For what reason is the regulated flow important? I suppose so we can adequately absorb incoming numbers of people properly and maintain an orderly society. Might this be the case?  Oh, I know there are concerns over national security, the high price of caring for immigrants who come to our land with few assets or resources but many needs to be funded from the public purse.  I would caution believers in this latter statement to understand that many immigrants come to us with skills, hopes and dreams and motivation to build highly successful lives. They also enhance our skill sets and sensibilities as an overall population.

There may be some concern about the religious beliefs of some immigrants; after all there is an Islamic jihad aimed at America, right? Well, no, actually. There are terrorists all over the globe who do not like America or many other nations as well. They claim injury from those nations and declare a jihad. It’s almost like if you don’t have a jihad named for your country, you must be doing something wrong!

Let’s face it. Jihads and Islamic radicals represent a tiny portion of the Muslim world. The Islamic tradition is one of peace, justice and loving thy neighbor. So are the traditions of Judaism and Christianity. They all come from the God of Abraham and thus the similarities among the religions.  They are all great religions. Each has its culture as well. Each is right to their followers. They are not a nationality; they are a religion.

Besides, America was built on individual liberty and chief among the liberties was to exercise religious beliefs without discrimination or abridgment. Even if the immigrant didn’t have a religion or belief in God. There was no religious requirement then (in the 1600’s) or now. You are free to be an atheist whether practicing or not.

So religious issues are not a part of the immigration issue. And rightly so!  How American is that?!

OK, so public services to immigrants may be costly at first but eventually our new citizens will more than make their own way in our society. It is one of the motivating factors of their moving from their homeland to ours; they want a fresh start. And if they are successful, they will more than pay their share of public costs.

If that is true, then any early public cost for services in their coming to America is an investment in their productivity and happiness. 

Therefore, that is no longer an issue.  A gripe, maybe; but not an issue. Fussy misers will always complain about costs and act as though they are the only ones bearing the cost. How egotistical of them!

Well then, we still have the huge issue of 12 million illegal immigrants. If their illegal status is the problem because solving 12 million cases all at the same time creates an enormous bureaucratic nightmare, I suggest we simplify the problem by declaring them all legal. That would eliminate the largest problem we are facing, right?

Now then, no longer do we have 12 million illegal immigrants to worry over.

What we do have are porous borders through which any malcontent can cross and create mayhem, including terrorists.  That is a far larger problem to solve, but at least it is definable in smaller numbers and thus more manageable. The management requires professional people trained to do this. We do not need self appointed militias to man the borders with guns licensed by the NRA! Vigilantes are not welcome in this volatile situation. They are not trained agents of the federal or state governments. They are not the police with special training for this task. So they are unwelcome and illegal actors on this particular stage. They should be arrested as a public nuisance and endangerment to the public weal.

 No high walls or fences are needed to protect our borders. Civility and professional border agents are. Deploy them sensibly.

Oh. One more thing. I suggest a welcome mat be permanently installed at all borders contiguously.

Now, can we get back to what’s really important?  That would be eating high calorie foods without getting fat. That’s a start.

September 12, 2014

Global Warming

Well it exists! Contrary to many pundits, talking heads and conservative wags, global climate change is with us. Ice caps are melting away, actually downsizing. Jet stream pathways have altered radically over the past 24 months and weather norms have shifted accordingly in many locations throughout the world. Warming air and water masses have that effect.

Those effects include hurricane patterns and formations, tornado emergence, severity of all such storms including thunderstorms, snow falls, thunder-snows, and many more examples of oddity in the world of weather.

With changing storm patterns come weird temperatures as well. High heat zones pop up in unusual places. Very cold temps are produced in other places.

We know that shifting temperature centers – both in the atmosphere and oceans – cause milder or more severe winters. Chicago had several years of mild winters in stark relief to its normal severe cold, ice and snow totals. For many years snow falls were minor and the accumulated totals far below normal. Then for many years we got warm gloppy snowfalls that melted in one or two days. Lots of water content as opposed to dry snows.

The weather experts can track the data on all of these conditions and most likely are. However, the global scene is interlaced with weather everywhere. That is what needs to be studied.

Will warmer weather at the poles be permanent? How do we measure permanence on a global basis? We need to face the reality that weather cycles we track are short lived from a few years to 50 years, or maybe even 100 years. In global terms that is a blink of the eye. Billions of years make up Earth’s history. A million years is a short time in geological terms. Recall the Ice Age ended 11,000 or 12,000 years ago. Man’s history tracks through a few thousand years of that time span, not all of it. And certainly practically none of the billions of years prior!

The scale of what we are witnessing on the weather front is the important thing. No one for certain can tell us the effects – lasting or otherwise – of current global warming conditions. But we humans ought to be aware of what is happening, how long it is likely to last, what changing conditions can we expect, and how severe an effect on our lives will it be.  Those are common sense things to consider.

The next step is to determine what effects human life has had on the global weather scene and whether we can change our behavior to alter the consequences we are witnessing now. Can we change our behavior is just one question. Another question is will the behavior change have the desired effect? Only time and experience will help us understand this complex issue.

Meanwhile denying the existence of the phenomena of global warming is pure childishness. Denial may make the present more palatable, but the future?

There’s always that question, isn't there?

September 11, 2014

Deliver Us From Evil

The video images of  Ray Rice hitting his wife in the elevator are stark. Boom! Violence. Personal and private. Yet captured on the security camera. The images spread on the internet. The reactions were as swift.

Ray Rice is/was a profession National Football League star. On the Baltimore Ravens NFL team. A running back. Swift, incisive player, talented. Strong, too. His fiancé then, now his wife, was not big and powerful. Slight and feminine. Knocked out cold. In plain view of the camera.

Today Ray Rice is out of a job. Maybe forever out of the NFL. As tragic as this event was and is, it is good that the Ravens and the NFL agree that domestic violence among their personnel must be attended to. The new NFL rules on domestic violence  carry a two game suspension for the first offense; a repeat offense is permanent suspension. Period.

Domestic violence is evil. In our nation and in our culture. Thankfully the NFL has made a strong stand with regard to its highly visible, highly paid and revered athletes. They are not gods. Some of them are evil, just like others scattered throughout humanity whether American or some other nationality. We must all take a stand against this evil.

I found this quote on the internet the other day.  It is anonymous, but the message is timeless:

            “We need to teach our daughters to know the difference between:

            -A man who flatters her and a man who complements her

            -A man who spends money on her and a man who invests in her

            -A man who views her as property and a man who views her properly

            -A man who lusts after her and a man who loves her

            -A man who believes he’s a gift to women, and a man who believes she’s a gift

                to him

            And then we need to teach our sons to be that kind of man.”

Evil is often a result, a symptom of an amalgamation of other factors. We teach or don’t, lead or don’t, stand up for principle or don’t. Sloppy living creates opportunity for unwanted results, symptoms, or evil. Think about it. The problem is ours to solve.

And we can do it by paying attention, asking for help when we need it, but above all, by not ignoring problems as they begin to emerge.

It is not OK to hit another person. It is even more not OK for a man to hit a woman, a child or any other human being weaker than he. We can instill this principle in our kids at home, in school, in social gatherings. We need to present a good role model for them to witness and be guided by when we are not in their presence. At all times.

Of course, we have events happening in our culture that send messages that can affect the outcomes we hope for. Doing violence to others takes many forms. Policies and practices of a school, an employer, a business entity, whatever, send messages and form expectations.

Hillary Clinton stated the following on the recent court case that allowed employers to escape some requirements to insure women’s reproductive healthcare on religious grounds:

“Many more companies will claim religious beliefs. Some will be sincere, others maybe not. We’re going to see this one insurable service cut out for many women…this is a really bad, slipper slope.”

Is this court decision violence against women? Is this a stretch of our logic? I don’t think so. Women must be free to determine their own future, their own medical treatment, their own advice and counsel on matters important to them. A health insurance plan should help the patient get what she needs in coping with medical and personal choices that have outcomes to her and her family’s life. This is not a court matter other than ensuring women have those rights! And it is not proper for an employer to decide what is moral and what is not in the personal life of an employee when such decisions have no impact on job performance.

It’s time to call out the Supreme Court. And employers who hide behind murky religious creeds. And politicians who cater to narrow interest groups and leverage public policy for personal gain. Shame on them all.

Evil lurks we are told. Evil exists among us. It is for all of us to see it and live accordingly.

Whether violence is a hit to the head, a slap to the face, or reduction of personal liberty, it is unwanted and dangerous to the fabric of our society.

May we remember this in all of our affairs. Meanwhile, thank you to the NFL for standing tall on domestic violence. And shame to the Supreme Court for narrowing personal freedom of women in the name of religious freedom of an employer.

Read your history books, Justices of the Supreme Court!  Freedom of religion works on many levels in our society. You've tortured it yet into a more horrible monster.

September 10, 2014

Consequences

So much to think about these days. Changing seasons, odd weather, changing climate. Future sources of energy (not oil!), domestic violence shifts, international violence, and unrest among religious minorities and still more topics to ponder. But here is a series of thoughts that oddly fit together. All of these are taken from the internet. They keep us wondering and thinking…

Please read them all through to see what I mean. This is not political, but then again it is. Try to ignore that and focus on the core ideas expressed here:

First is a quote from Andrew Sullivan:

“There’s effectively no Republican Party anymore. There is a radical movement to destroy the modern American state and eviscerate its institutions in favor of restoring a mythical, Elysian, majority-white, 19^th century past.”

In policy matters this controlling party in the U.S. House of Representatives and a controlling minority in the U. S. Senate appears to want to gut all government programs except the Department of Defense. That would leave a government only concerned in military matters and a very precarious foreign affairs arena destined to use the military power.

As Alan Grayson (Democrat Florida Congressman) has said:

“We have to get past this bizarre notion that every time there’s something in the world we don’t like, we bomb it.”

That is an overstatement but it illustrates the danger of being only concerned with military issues and then applying it to foreign affairs because you are effectively ignoring all other matters – public education, public health and welfare, public transportation, environmental issues, etc.

And if you need more ammunition for this, just look at what John McCain has said in the past 18 months:

            2013: “We must arm ISIS to defeat Assad (Syria).

            2014: “We must help Assad defeat ISIS.”

Which should we be focusing on, John? Syria or ISIS? Or your re-election, or your presidential aspirations? What drives you to open your mouth in public, John?

I may be wrong about this, but I think we Americans need to focus on what makes us human and get better at managing those issues. Lots of problems, lots of solutions, much to be grateful for, much work yet to do.

The largest task is healing from all the hurts we have suffered – real or imagined! Shifting outside of ourselves toward the needs of others is a good start. And then forgiving and ridding ourselves of resentments.

An old American Indian idea freely interpreted states the following:

“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” – Author Unknown

Wounded yes. But no longer letting it control our lives. A good thought to remember as we move forward doing the best we can with what we have.

Increasingly it is more valuable and potent! Just think of the positive consequences of that!

September 9, 2014

Youth Employment

Let us talk about this issue.  Kids working, perhaps at their first job. First of all let’s focus on teenagers say from 14 to 18.

Employment is generally a good thing for young people. It centers their attention on useful activity for which they get paid.  They learn how to do things for others that are useful. That’s why they can earn money from their efforts. They begin to see themselves differently, worthy of getting paid. Learning something useful. Doing something for other people or organizations, that gets them outside of themselves at the same time.

Their earnings allow them the means to pay some personal expenses so they are a little more independent of family. They may even be able to help their families if economic struggles are present in the household.

This age group also is in the life phase where they explore interests, future careers, social interactions and their consequences – a whole lot of experimentation and consequences!  Some results are tragic. Some are definitely educational, but all are worthwhile. Exploring the world of work is mostly a good thing. It helps them learn what to avoid in the future and what to move towards.

Keeping them busy in worthwhile activities also reduces their free time to get into trouble.

Most jobs for teenagers, however, are either volunteer tasks (think hospitals and churches) or are low paid (think fast food and yard care). Furthermore, and maybe most importantly, few jobs are available for teens in most communities. Age restrictions are one reason, but training is a larger obstacle.

By far, however, the largest challenge is that employers do not think of this age group and intentionally make work available for them.

Thus kids go unemployed and have lots of free time to get into trouble unsupervised. Not all of course, but these days most parents both work outside the home and leave their teenagers with lots of free time.

Employers lose out as well. They are not getting to know the latest generation of future workers and understand their interests and talents. They also miss out on attracting those same young people into their workforce once they have completed their education.

Older youth is our next focus, ages 18 to 29. They currently are unemployed at the rate of 15%. [Millennial Jobs Report, Generation Opportunity, Arlington, Virginia] Stunning high number.  Worse, 22.4% of African-Americans in this age group are idle, 15.8% of Hispanic youth are similarly idle

Idle young talent, an army of them. They will fill their time fiddling with electronic gadgets. They could explore service opportunities at local institutions that need volunteer help, but how would they earn the income necessary to support their own lives? And build a future?

Are we wasting a major portion of our newest adult generation? If yes, this is a huge waste and ticking time bomb for massive social unrest. If no, I’d like to know how these people are eventually being absorbed into the world of work, meaningful work.

But my greatest concern is simply this: I don’t think we know the answer to the question in the first place. And that begs the question: Why is America unconcerned with the how and why of career development among the youngest generations?  Is anyone studying this area and finding usable answers and solutions?

All the policy makers in Congress and state legislatures will do little good if this area of inquiry is ignored.

Who knows what is going on in this arena? Please respond if you know something on this issue.

Some anecdotal information: I work with some teens (not a huge number, but small in number) that have been caught drinking and using/trading drugs underage. To a person they are very smart and creative. Most have struggled with depression. Most have no clue as to what they will do with the rest of their lives. Some do, but most don’t. With both parents working long hours and their focus outside of the home, are these kids ignored and disconnected from their parents? Do they have dreams of their future in a positive or negative mode? What positive influences are they exposed to?

I’m just saying I think our nation has a problem here that needs creative responses if we expect good results from these young people. Once engaged I find them personable, caring and enormously creative. All positive traits that they can build on for a fantastic future for themselves and their society.

Meanwhile, how many are being wasted or imperiled?

September 8, 2014