Something to think about...

Its getting to where I hate to watch the news or read the paper (or online news). I keep hearing about so much bad stuff...and sadly, a lot of bad stuff here in the US.

I've spent the last two years working the night shift at a mental health facility. If its a quiet night, I often listen to the radio and have recently found that one of the NPR stations plays BBC World News all night. If you really want some idea of how the world views us Americans, check out the news from another country. It might be an eye opener.

That said, it breaks my heart to hear that 1 in 5 American women are victims of sexual violence. It breaks my heart that we can no longer trust our politicians, bankers, clergy or even athletic coaches. It seems like everyone is out for themselves and their own desires. What ever happened to responsibility?

Maybe I'm just getting old. Maybe my looking back on the past is merely tinted through my own memories...but was the world always this evil? Growing up, I knew there were bad people out there. My parents always taught me to beware of them. My parents taught me well. They taught me that there are good people too. They taught me to figure out who was who. Do parents even bother with that anymore?

And speaking of parents, GROW UP! Your job is NOT to be your child's best friend. Your job is to be your child's parent! Letting little Johnny or Suzy have their way all of the time is not helping them. Case in point: I was driving home from work yesterday morning and I saw a kid in my neighborhood waiting for the school bus. It was 23 degrees out. It was COLD! And this kid was wearing shorts! Its not cute. Its not "cool". It shows that the kid is an idiot and that his parents are even bigger idiots. If I had tried that, my mom would've smacked some sense into my head!

Here's something we can all try: How about we try to be what we're supposed to be? How about we try to be the way that we want others to view us? How about we all try to do the right thing, at least most of the time? Is that too much to ask?

I'll never begrudge anyone making an honest buck. If you become rich through hard work and perserverence, God bless you! But...if you make a fortune by ruining the lives of others, you've done wrong. If your living depends on destroying the world around you, you've done wrong. I'm not saying that I'm better than you. I am, however, taking the time to make choices that I feel are ethical and positive in their nature.

I don't know how or why the world has become what is has. All I know is, I don't like it. And neither should you. Of course, no one can effect immediate, wide spread change. But...we can each change our own lives day by day. Take the time to think things through before you act. "Look before you leap" as the old saying goes. In this 'instant' society, that may be harder than you think...but good things never come easy.

Just something to think about....