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The Past Speaks to the Present But Are We Listening?
By Dr. James Dove

The news is filled with Presidential and Congressional campaign rhetoric – promises, attacks, misstatements, and explanations of ‘what I meant to say.’ Once you are through the evening news, it is hard to believe that anyone is fit to hold office. Maybe they are not. Yelling among commentators. Where are the reporters? Where are the nonspinners? Where are the deliverers of the news and not the interpreters? It is impossible to decide what is news and what is interpreted news.

Then there is the crash in the financial markets of unfettered greed and corruption. Spending far beyond one’s income. It’s not my fault for taking out a large sub prime mortgage with no hope of paying it off unless prices continue to increase. They told me I could do it. It is not my fault that I spent beyond my means. They told me I could. Wait a minute. What happened to personal responsibility? What happened to living within one’s income? What happened to delayed gratification and waiting until most of the money was already saved before buying? There is greed on Wall Street and within the business community for sure. What about the Congressional oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? So much for politicians who are not influenced by political contributions. I never believed that before and I don’t believe it now.

Our society has created an expectation of ‘I must have it now’ philosophy. Advertising the latest, greatest new gadgets creates a sense of deprivation. Why wait when credit is readily available? Why suffer with the inadequacies of the old and outdated? We must have it now.

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence but once we have crossed over, we find that it is soft, sticky mud. The world has come with us, as conspicuous consumption is not just limited to the United States. The global economy is in trouble but the U.S. market may have a more difficult time recovering since we are use to our lifestyle while others are just beginning to taste it. But the global economies also are dependent on U.S. imports.

Boom! Doom! Ka-boom! What are we to do? Dr. Seuss, where are you?

Retreat has a negative connotation but sometimes we need to regroup to better see a clear way forward.

Wait a minute! This is the holiday season. It is supposed to be a time filled with festivities and fun, a time for joy and celebration. But how can we celebrate with all of these problems?

Maybe it’s time to refocus on what really matters. Others have warned us for years to move away from the materialistic goals to those more important in life, such as family, friends, and helping one another. Once we have satisfied our basic needs, the rest is fluff.

We have become more fluff than substance, which is why we consider the current situation so hopeless.

Rumpelstiltskin, where are you? We need you to spin the straw into gold, but wait a minute. That straw came from the horse barn and is covered with soft, brown, smelly goo. It’s not gold. It’s horse ____.

We need to dig our way out of the soft, fluffy snow down to solid bedrock. Paulette Dove, an outstanding legal authority (I am not conflicted based on business and Congressional standards), told me about a fortune cookie that she opened last week. It said, “Don’t worry about the stock market – invest in family.” A statement that is profound, concise, and provides us direction.

Our economy is so dependent on the holiday splurge and planned obsolescence that we fear failure if it doesn’t continue. Why should we let these goals that we have come to embrace continue to direct our future course? We have a choice to retreat, regroup, and develop a better plan. That will not occur because of one individual, one political party, or any other hallowed spirit. It will happen if we decide to make it happen. Let’s make this holiday season a time to celebrate what matters. Will it be fluff or substance? There is no need to detail what needs to happen because it is what we have all known all along. It’s your choice.

I like this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote:

An Ocean of Drops.

“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”

It speaks to individual responsibility as well as collective action.

 

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