This is the time of the year when people fall prey? victim? to various emotions. Even as they worry about the future, many turn towards the past and evaluate their lives. Were they of any value? Did they make an impact? Are there things they would change or redo? Are they proud in an overall evaluation or do they still cringe at the thought and the memories that break through?
This looking back is particularly found among the, shall I say, aging population and I include myself very openly among them. When the end is so much closer, one often falls into a muse of the past, particularly when reminded of it.
One of the biggest and most important questions that is asked is 'did I make a positive impact'? One looks at the family and here I can say that I am proud, pleased at how they turned out. They are contributing members of society, all in positions where the main goal is to help others. Good kids, good hearts, working minds, and raising wonderful families. Was it always so, no problems? No, for that is impossible, but the important thing is what or how the bottom line reads and I am not referring to bottom financial lines either.
Aside from family we wonder at how we spent the rest of our lives. Did we engage in helpful activities? Did we try to help others, even as we enjoyed ourselves and did the work of our lifetime mean anything? There are times that I look back and wonder if I would have been better off working in a position where there was more money, more benefits, a pension to pay the bills after retirement, but then I hear from a former 'kid' of mine, an educational kid, and, to put it in a term that is hard to translate, I 'kvell', I take enormous joy and pride and pleasure in hoping that I played at least a small part in their achievements. Productive members of society, proud parents, contributing members of their community, writers, creators, business folk and much to my joy, they remember me with good thoughts and acknowledgement. How much better could it be, to know that yes, even as you were teaching gerunds and prepositional phrases, or analyzing the contents of a novel, there were other values getting through as well, at the same time.
And as I look to today's times personally, I can say that life is good. Friends, family, activities, a wonderful partner - even though no, he is not perfect - but then again, no one is (though I insist to him that I am!) But seriously, I look at life today and thank G-d that my looking back, with some cringes at some errors that I would have loved to avoid, was good, productive and helpful, contributory to a good society and selfishly, that I personally gained much joy from the interactions with the people of my past.
But what about looking forward? Where does that put us? Right now, I believe we can look forward to two paths and one, not ever truly trod upon in this country, the road not taken, but not the one of Frost's poem, this one is to be avoided at all costs. It portends harm, danger, and existential threat to our country. It portends existential threat to the whole world, in fact.
That is the road of Trump and the road of hypocrites who think they can have it all. Some of them have actually criticized Trump and his actions, or resigned, unable to stomach him and his policies. But when push comes to shove, they vote like little tin soldiers, party line all the way and the rest of us, the country, suffers. Badly.
Where has all the courage gone? Disagreements are fine, in fact, good for the nation, but when extremism comes into play, that is the moment we must turn back, turn away, and reboot. Jerry Falwell, Jr. now states that it is "immoral" to not support Trump, Really? So does that mean that indifference towards the welfare of others, cheating, lying, promiscuity, tax fraud, collusion with the enemy - all these are okay? Does it mean that we must award incompetence, and follow the demented leader deep in the throes of ever growing dementia?
The answer is a most emphatic no, and perhaps one day those who support this man even though he is diametrically opposed to all that evangelicals and just plain normal everyday people feel and believe and live, one day, they will come to their senses. One day, we will return this country to its upright position, welcome new blood, new immigrants, absorb them into society and thus enhance all parties. One day we will have a caring presidential couple once again, not one who dances the night away at a gala bash even as close to a million people are awaiting their next paycheck, delayed by the intransigence and uncaring of this Demented one, people who are now having trouble paying bills, feeding their kids, taking care of elderly parents, and simply enjoying life.
Looking forward, I see a country that does not match its image of the past. Yes, we did wrong in the past. Yes, we made grievous errors in the past. Yes, we had some awful times as a nation, but always, time allowed progress, always good people to run interference and push progress, always a concern to uphold the rights of all citizens of the country. Now? No, sorry, for there is a concerted effort to take away rights, voting rights, civil rights, the right to a good life or, as simply put, "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".
Looking back, looking forward, we need to try to improve ourselves, to correct errors, to push for the right thing and not the selfish thing. To hope that others around the world will have the same opportunities that we generally, or at least used to afford our people. For all of us looking back, I hope you found your past life as rewarding as I did mine. For those of us looking forward, well, there is much to be done, must to research and cure, much in our march to feed the hungry, care for the needy, the children, the elderly, to form a solid social safety net, to provide opportunities to paths for good futures for all. So much to be done and no time to waste.
Hard, yes, but so rewarding. Let us look towards that future and make sure that we choose the right leaders to walk in front and lead and light the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment