Miscellany

Today’s blog will just touch on several issues worthy of comment but not worth major commentary.

Overworked and burned out: American workers feel like this. The economy has been in the dumps for several years now as working conditions are being redefined.  This includes reduced or stagnant wages and salaries; reduced work teams but increased workloads of those remaining; reduced or eliminated employee benefits (health care insurance, vacations, personal time, sick time, pensions, 401k plans, stock options plans, and life insurance); and attitude. There are few bits of good news in the employment world. Employers seem to think they get to define everything because they are paying the employee for their labor. Not true! On the surface yes, but remember this truth: what goes around comes around. And the valued employee today that you have wronged will leave you for your competitor or another industry leaving you high and dry. Loyalty will always mean something in these matters and it is a two-way street.

Greece’s Predicament: Greece holds a pre-eminent place in world history, especially Western European History. It is also one of those global community members that bridged east to Asian cultures and trade, making Western Europe a more expansive thinking culture. That was thousands of years ago. Today, Greece’s financial predicament is of its own making and narrow minded stubbornness. The world has helped the nation for generations. Greece has taken and taken and taken. It is now time to call a halt to this largesse on the part of the world community. Greece must stand on its own two legs. It has much to offer. Perhaps the greatest solution is asking the Walt Disney Corporation to take it on as a tourist attraction? That may be the fastest pathway to economic independence for Greece!

AIDS in Kenya and Culture: American generosity of spirit and money came to Kenya as it dealt with the overwhelming horror of the AIDS pandemic. Although money alone was not the prescription for Kenya, personal care and help to make small villages economically independent, were shared with Kenya for many years. Back in the 1990’s ministries from America populated many Kenyan villages. Assistance with building hospitals, schools, agricultural methods, and small industry was accomplished. Small groups of people visited and delivered the means to make good things happen. along the way it was discovered as common knowledge that the AIDS epidemic was shared and expanded by men having sex with men. This was not a cultural fact of life that was accepted openly. It was known to be normal, just not talked about. So it comes as a major surprise that Kenyan leaders in 2015 see their ailing nation as weakened by illness not culture myopia as they are embattled by neighboring nations. With eyes wide shut what did they expect to happen? ‘Tis a pity.

Retailing and Consumption: Picture America in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. Hard scrabble farms and ranches. Loud clanging factories. Dangerous working conditions as industries expanded and grew new infrastructures. Workers labored long and hard hours to earn a living. Employee benefits were minimal if present at all. But the focus of all this effort was to make things that people would buy. And the economic model was solid – make things, sell them, create commerce and jobs, families will earn adequate incomes and the quality of life will improve day after day, year after year.  Now generations later, nearly 90 years later, retailing is in a tumble and with it consumption. Americans see this commercial formula with different eyes these days. Houses are viewed as permanent, not temporary. Cars, too, are seen as longer term possessions rather than temporary fads. Quality standards are very different today when compared with yesteryear. The internet has invaded retail markets and forever changed them. Along with that change is an as yet uncharted consumption pattern. Oh it will change. It has to. After all consumers are buying their goods in a completely different manner and the reality of the transaction has changed with it. Consumption has no choice but change with it. What will it become?

Living with Simplicity: This topic follows well the former item! With consumption patterns changing frequently consumers are imagining life differently. They realize that many things they thought were basic needs were anything but. Instead they are focusing on what matters in the mind – ideas, beauty, options, philosophy, values, theory, art, relationships, to name just a few. With that shift in attention Americans are revolutionizing their life patterns. We even watch hours of television depicting tiny houses that many people are eagerly adopting. Simplifying housing, transportation, activities and careers, allows time and freedom to discover what is most important. Is it things or people? Is it an idea or a status? Or might it be relationships with others that trump living standards. What is shallow and what is deeply meaningful. I suspect Americans are more than idly pondering these matters. Thank God!

July 2, 2015