3 Generations. Thats where I stand now -- right in the middle of 3 generations: Me, My son, my grandson (and grand-daughter) -- ME, my dad and my grandfather! Forward and backward. I may seem like an obvious statement until you realize that what it MEANS is that I have a past, and a future. And Im the pivot point between that past and future. By and large, MOST people in this nation of ours are such existentialists. Look the meaning up on Google, but basically it means we ACT as though we alone are the first generation to occupy this space (NO sense of history) and we really could give a good damn about any future generation thats going to inherit whatever it is we are building or tearing down. If you think my observation is wrong --- ask yourself: how much history of this nation do you actually know and do you honestly think it matters? If you look at your 15 year old child or grand-child, can you actually IMAGINE what their life is going to be like when they are 80 -- and do you think it matters? How much you think it matters means that whatever youre doing now is a result of a previous generations hard earned efforts and lessons -- now through you impacting a future generations ability to cope and thrive!! If we apply that just to economics in America -- my grandfather was born in 1898 when life looked like THIS in America: americandigest.org/mt-archives/003715.php In 2014 the average monthly cost of a nursing home is $7,000 per month!! And I ask myself, When my son (who is almost 36) is 80 -- what will the average cost of a nursing home be then? When grandpap was a boy, there was no FDA or USDA. People ate tainted meat and food because businesses had NO oversight in terms of what Americans consumed. Even with all its faults, I cant imagine a 2014 world without someone watching to make sure that our food supply doesnt kill us off as a nation! But what policies are being put into place today that may impact my grandsons ability to eat healthy when hes an old man?? You can apply these thoughts to lots of areas of life and see that who we are now is key, essential to the lessons of the past guiding us to build a solid future for those who will still be called Americans long after WE are buried in our native soil! Economics, climate change, preserving our resources, making sure people can live with hope for a dignified life, VALUING each American with no throw aways? So whats the plan America? Where do we as a nation WANT to be 25 years from now? Do any of our politicians ever really talk about a future plan and how we are going to have to ACT like a nation to achieve it or do we just seem to drift from election to election. Are there any visionaries left in politics that can see that their petty little schemes might be undermining the very foundation of who we are as a nation? Harry Truman once said, I cant just think about myself in this chair of the Presidency -- Im going to have to think of all those who are coming AFTER me! 2 generations buried -- 2 generations ahead of me and here I am right smack dab in the middle. I just pray to God that the legacy of the personal past Im standing on can make the future generation look back and feel just as proud and determined to believe that their tomorrows CAN be better than their yesterdays!
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 00:05:30 +0000
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