BOLO: Be on the lookout (for): little blond Dutch boys with agile fingers or for Hans Brinker types willing to do what is necessary. Further requirements are not for the brave, the bold, the fearless. Rather we need those who are deliberate in action, act, when necessary, are very much afraid, yet will do what must be done, be they shaking or quaking.
We apparently are backwards, below optimum level for true leaders. The need is blatant, as glaring as the absence of anyone to fill the role. True leadership is forward looking even as they pack along the positive attributes and traditions of the past, the lessons learned, the knowledge so vital for survival. Extraneous burdens are left behind, along with those who seek to enshrine these burdens, the negative attributes which have contributed so greatly to the troubles of mankind.
Take a look around and take note of our glaring, now so obvious, previously either ignored or unknown, unrecognized, lacks in approach to problems and solutions. We did things backwards, always trying to catch up, but falling further and further behind with each presumably restorative step taken. Even as we knew, as we know, we continue to walk the wrong path, tread instead the path of the absurd, the senseless, useless, the non-contributory steps. The results? Actually, nothing positive, encouraging, only more angst and anxiety and further breakdown of civilized responsive and responsible society.
"It's a sign of the times..." - so sang Petula Clark all those years ago, imbued with a positive outlook, a hope for the future. Today, there are different signs of the times. It is to be found in the words of a 92-year-old couple who say, "I'd rather have the house blow away without me than with me." It is to be found in the words of a Venezuelan seeker of refuge who states, "Here I can help my family more than from anywhere else."
Read those two statements and then contrast them with other words, the words of despair well-seasoned with anger, wonder, horror that such a thing as open rebellion and embracing of an open campaign of lies, conspiracies, of open bloody hatred, the deliberate poisoning of American society, the shredding of our unity, our identity as Americans, one and all. See the resemblance to the dreams and actions of our ancestors who came here with the same goals and dreams, first Papa, or older child, then the rest of the family. No difference actually, is there, other than the fact that we were blessed with brave ancestors who took the risk then, and thus us! Appreciate, share, acknowledge the contributions of immigrants to this country, to the high standards and ideal we once, once, were.
No, the signs of the times, our times, are not good. Instead of thinking out of the box, truly tackling the problem of climate change, inimical to our continued existence, we insist on ignoring truth, on remaining behind, playing an eternal, ultimately useless game of catch up; thus, ergo, here we are. A 92-year-old couple fleeing their home to save their lives, escape from a humongous, monstrous hurricane brought about by and thru our actions, our veering off the proper pathways.
And in NY, there is a multi-million-dollar project to build moveable seawalls to prevent the disastrous flooding of a Hurricane Sandy. Uh, okay, but in pushing water away from NYC, we only displace it. Water, always seeking a path, will go elsewhere, like Jersey, or Connecticut, or Long Island and so what have we gained? Time? Not really, for time is certainly not in our favor here. Why not lead a worldwide working solution, take the hard step, bite the bullet, and do what must if we are to save the earth and ourselves. Truly. Actually.
Where are the true seekers and thinkers who will tell us that trolling the social media, counting the topic searches is not an answer nor a clue for the answer. The true answers are in our education, in succeeding to teach our future generations the meaning of struggle, the history of our country, good and bad, the attempt to improve, our standing as a leader for the positive, our recognition of flaws and attempts to improve; to wean them away from those who would inculcate the negative traits of hate, bias, greed, disparagement of 'others', of censorship, etc., etc.
Do we have hope of new heroes, of new leaders who will quietly, but effectively, stop the leaking dike, save the nation, or ones who will skate on thin ice despite their bone shaking fear, fulfill their destiny, their duty to themselves, their nation, the world? Will we grow new leaders who will understand when Thomas Friedman truly nails it when he writes that Putin is not waging war against Ukraine; he is waging war on the world. Or the words of a conservative who states that salvation will come from the women, as it is now the women who are protesting in Russia even as the men flee, and the women in Iran who had enough of their downtrodden place in society. All these women face imprisonment, torture and death. Death! As a cost, a purchase price for future women and men, and children, to live in freedom, responsible freedom.
Each and every one of us can be a hero. We all have brains, hearts, minds and souls. We all share in the destiny of earth; no one is exempt from the consequences of past generations misdeeds and oh so wrong thinking, their seeming determination to ignore the reality, the obviousness of it all.
Yes, we have heroes aplenty, if only we would recognize that hero within ourselves.
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