This is going to be one of my most pompous posts to date. I am getting on my high horse, and I am going to give my 2-cents on what is wrong with the world today. If I strike a nerve, I certainly don't mean to. I just have some thoughts that I would like to share with the world. They are arranged in order of self, family, world:
1. Food in boxes. If it comes out of a box, you probably shouldn't be eating it. 50 years ago, there were hardly any "convenience foods". If you wanted to make a meal, you bought your meat, your veggies, your spices, and you probably made your own bread. If you look at the "obesity epidemic" in our country, I can't help but wonder how much of this is attributed to convenience foods. I have started looking at people's shopping carts when I am in the grocery store. Not surprising, the people who are looking unhealthy have primarily convenience foods in their carts. I am not perfect in this arena, although I am trying, I really am. I try to make meals from scratch, make my own snacks and desserts (chocolate chip cookies every weekend--YUM), and I usually make a batch of bread each weekend as well.
2. No water. People aren't drinking water anymore. There are a lot of people whose "water" is a can of pop, juice, iced tea, etc. This kind of goes along the line of #1...if you can't pronounce the ingredients of a food or beverage, you probably shouldn't eat it or drink it. Pop is full of stuff I can't pronounce. It is addictive. I have learned that when I drink too much pop, I feel "sludgy" and hung over. Here, too, totally not perfect, but working at it.
3. No work. Now, we have all heard about the benefits of exercise. But do you wonder why generations before us weren't exercising in the same way we are supposed to be? Because they WORKED! In the days before automatic washers/dryers, laundry had to be washed BY HAND! And it took all day! Think of the calories you would expend in a day of hand-washing your laundry! Or the calories expended in a day of farm work. We need to get moving, somehow. We don't have to go to fancy gyms or buy all kinds of equipment for our houses. We just need to work. And, there is a lot to be said about working hard to achieve your goals...see next item.
4. Instant gratification. It seems like there is something wrong with want. So many of us get what we want when we want it, whether it be an article of clothing, a car, a house, furniture, etc. What are we teaching our kids about this? We are raising a generation of kids who are getting what they want when they want it. They aren't working for it, saving for it, and they certainly aren't getting denied. What kind of adults are they going to be? I am afraid that we will have a whole generation of people who can't deal with failure and who expect the world to be at their feet. Not to mention...look at the NEED in the world. The need people have for simple things, food, shelter, clothing. Let's teach our kids about need! Let's teach them about setting goals and priorities! Again, let's look at previous generations...I bet few of us can say that our parents or grandparents had 5000 square foot homes, two late-model cars, the newest and latest gadgets, and a closet full of clothes. Here, once again, so not there...I love my gadgets, especially. But, I think we need to examine more closely as a society what are "wants" and what are "needs".
5. When the going gets tough, we get outta here: If you are married, you got married (hopefully) because you were crazy about the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. Well, guess what? It isn't all sunshine, daisies, and Looooove. People grow, they modify their behaviors, and life happens. It affects each of us differently. There are times that we are in sync with each other, and times we are on different planets. Same with kids...You start your parenting journey helplessly in love with this tiny infant. But, over time, this tiny infant becomes a person all their own. You will see eye to eye, sometimes, and other times, not so much. Too many people are afraid of these conflicts, and either physically leave when things get rough, or "leave" in other ways. They "leave" by no longer communicating, or by giving in all the time. They "leave" by not fighting the battles that need to be fought to keep your marriage and family functioning and moving toward a goal of health and happiness for all.
6. A lack of diversity. I am not necessarily speaking of cultural or racial diversity. Rather the diversity of personalities, of strengths and of weaknesses. A prime example is what is happening in our schools. There is such emphasis on reading and math, much less on history, art, or science. We are putting kids into a mold, and if they don't fit, they are falling. When are we going to be able to recognize each person's strengths and weaknesses, capitalize on their strengths, to allow each person to access their full potential. I think the world would be a much better place if we were cultivating each individual's strengths and gifts from an early age, rather then separating them into the ones who fit the cookie cutter and the ones who don't (and what do we do with the ones who don't? Well, we throw our hands in the air!).
7. A loss of Community. In previous generations, communities took care of one another. You not only knew your neighbors, you borrowed sugar from them. You knew your neighbor's families, your kids played with their kids, and they rode their bikes all over God's creation, only having to come home at a predetermined hour. The entire community watched out for those kids, and they watched out for one another. We now live in these little bubbles, undisturbed, unperturbed, but we don't reach out and take care of each other. It wouldn't take much if we all did just a little.
Feel free to add to this list...what else could we do to make ourselves healthier/happier, our families stronger, our communities more vibrant? Let's make this world a better place!
