A Prescription For A New National Spirit and A New Economy

Often, I post blogs here, not because I know the answers, but because I am searching for them.  Writing helps me collect my thoughts.  Why I think about some of these things I have no idea.  This is one of those times when my thoughts turn to thinking that "there must be something better than this."

A New National Spirit
This country's leadership needs a complete spirit overhaul.  Liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, it all needs an overhaul.  Our leaders need to begin a new dialogue with the citizens of this country, and that dialogue needs to be heavy on words like "freedom", "liberty," and "opportunity."  We also needs liberal use of words like "family," "community," "work," and "faith."  Where did we so woefully lose sight of all these?  We need to go back to our founding ideals and start over.  Our leaders have largely abandoned the founding ideals of this country.  The word "freedom" is only hauled out on Independence Day anymore, then is promptly stored away and locked up until Independence Day the following year.  We have leaders in power now that are only interested in taking away our freedoms and increasing their own power.  Business leaders who are only interested in lining their own pockets.  Those businesses who treat their employees like family are few and far between anymore.

So how do we start?  First, communicate with each other.  This has really become a lost art as we have used social media to communicate at the expense of direct encounters.  Too often, social media is used more to destroy others than to build each other up.  Anecdotally, I do not know how many times I have seen highlighted articles headlined, "So and so destroys the other person's lies!"  How is this helpful?  It is not.  We look to find fault in the other guy, and we never stop to examine our own. My guess is that if we talk to each other, we have a better understanding of each other's viewpoint.  We do not have to agree, but we must learn to respectfully disagree and work from there.  We must know that there is a middle ground that works.  We might also learn a thing or two ourselves.

Sometimes I wonder if this wonderful technology is doing more harm than good.  And trust me, the irony of typing this up on my laptop to be published on the Internet is not lost on me.  I think the Internet is a great thing!  The Internet has put me in touch with old friends, and I have made many wonderful new friends because of it.  I can conveniently purchase many items from the comfort of home thanks to the Internet.  But, too often, I am seeing it used to destroy people.  To paint others unfairly, and to be highly judgmental.  To say "I'm better than you."  It is used to spread hate as well as love.  The Internet is a tool that has the power to do so much good, yet so much evil too.

So, we are back to where do we start?  It starts at home.  Start with the family.  Try to eat a home cooked meal together at the dinner table.  I have been woefully inadequate myself in this.  Communicate with your children.  Tell them about your day and have them share something about their day.  Emphasize the importance of education, laughter, family, and most of all, love.  Tell your children that you love them.  Let them know that you will still love them when they mess up.  Read.  Play.  Pray.  Teach your children that the best things in life are not things.

Set the example for your children.  Be a friendly neighbor.  Show compassion to those who need it.  Teach your children and teach yourself that sometimes bad things happen to good people.  And that is when we step in to help.  Show the importance of volunteering.

I think if we start with these things, we will become better people, and we will become far more interesting people.  Plus, I believe we will see a new national spirit!

P.S.  The prescription for a New Economy will come in a later post.