Defining Moments

What are the key things that define who we are as Americans? Let’s take a stab at that.

1.     Inventive: new technologies and processes

2.     Creative: art and design boundaries are pushed forward relentlessly

3.     Education: to learn to learn; and think

4.     Passion to care for others

5.     Responsibly disciplined

6.     Expansive dreamers

There are other terms we could use to define us, but let’s stick with the ones we have above.

Certainly, we are not consistent always in adhering to these ideals. We cycle our interest at times, but we usually return to the previous focus with vigor. Because our society is large, off or down cycles often are short lived. Another group of people will take up the slack and competition presses forward again. The hunt is on for inventive ideas, processes and methods to produce whatever is new.

A closer look at the terms includes the following:

1.     Inventive: new ways of doing things, manufacturing goods, processes to manage resources better. We find cost effective means to produce more from less. New technologies abound; discoveries and advancements outnumber uses and follow up. The potential for the new is huge; much is untapped, waiting to be used in a later revolution of change.

2.     Creativity goes beyond inventiveness. The arts become a language of expression and what is possible. It communicates hope, vision and yearning for the expansive potentials that will define our lives in an ever-unfolding future. It has a hungry pulse pushing forward into the unknown.

3.     Education: although we often are sidetracked into dead end activities with short-term purpose, we generally support life-long learning. The need to bring this to more people is the undelivered promise; but the day will come. Meanwhile we strive to teach people to think and unlock the talent to learn continuously. It is hard work but it shapes the mind and proves talents needed for the ever expanding future. Learning to think. Learning to learn. That is the big task yet to be perfected. Many know this; more resist the hard work to accomplish it. Those resisting live lives limited by experience only; those who do the work know the rewards of freedom and broad possibilities. Excitement is theirs, and the motive to push on.

4.     Caring for others: this is preservation of family and friends. Neighborhoods and community, too. Community is the social structure that is small enough to know and understand; it is also the structure that demonstrates being cared for and why we care for others. America is comprised of millions of villages, small communities. We are heart-felt. Caring but not necessarily loving. Love is saved for our special people. We have much caring to extend to others outside our borders. We easily explore other nations and societies. We extend friendship and with it, caring. The community enlarges to embraceable dimensions. In turn we learn more, expand our worldly knowledge of life. In turn this supports our inventiveness, creativity, education – all for more caring. It is a cycle that feeds and refreshes itself. It becomes its own passion.

5.     Responsibly disciplined: a lot of the above terms are obtained only through discipline. Maintaining that discipline, however, takes a concerted effort, a sense of responsibility. Not everyone has this, or least not everyone has it at the same time as others. Spotty adherence to discipline is a hobgoblin of progress! We need to work on this more. Asian nations know this responsibility; it is evident in their educational institutions and the lives of their students. We know this by knowing them in our classrooms and research labs. Asian responsibility and discipline is individually lived. Americans need to do the same.

6.     Expansive Dreamers: we are blessed with many dreamers, people who draw in the many ideas surrounding them. They absorb the energy of these ideas and allow them expansive impulses to create whole new universes of possibility. Not all are capable of doing this; just a portion of our people. But they are supported by the rest of us. And we discover new sciences, shapes, designs and technologies. Talents and arts merge; so do science and education; and caring to produce the dreams that matter. Probability and possibility emerge. The stuff of dreams invades the culture.

We are not perfect. We argue a lot among ourselves. We are distracted by fun and games. We lose our focus in all of this. We become sidetracked and waste time and talent and resources. In the abundance of our culture we lose discipline in setting priorities that will support needed accomplishments. But we have the necessaries to go on. With faith in ourselves we will continue to perform.

Hopefully for the good of mankind and the ever present global village. After all, it is our community as well.

February 9, 2018