There's a well-known saying that is included in at least one country hit song. "Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die to get there." At first blush, that sounds kind of corny and "country" but think about it. When I start think about the ironies of the modern age in the 21st century, a number of things come to mind. It will be my intention in this blog to address only a few of those.
Many people, especially younger people, want to be successful, live the dream life with a house, two cars, children and enough money in the bank to go anywhere they want whenever they want. For many, however, there seems to be a problem with that. Not all of those individuals want to exert the energy or put forth the effort to achieve their dreams.
If we examine just one part of that dream, we will begin to understand. First of all, relationships take real work and effort. It doesn't matter whether it is a friendship, a dating relationship, a committed partnership or a marriage. All of them take work. Unless, you or I are willing to make a daily effort to maintaining and strengthening our relationships, they are going to falter and eventually may fail completely. Isn't it ironic that those who claim that they want a relationship the most are unwilling to take the necessary steps to create and maintain what they most desire?
Stepping away from the American dream for a moment, or maybe not really, consider the corporate workforce. If I could only tell you the number of times employees told me how much they disliked their working environment or position, yet these same individuals were unwilling to step up to the plate and face their challenges. Or consider those who will conveniently make themselves look better at the expense of someone else who, in reality, may be "breaking their back" to improve the working situation for all. Isn't it ironic that those who complain the loudest are unwilling to put forth the effort to change things?
Many of us have probably heard the stories or the modern day parable of the man who as teenager thinks his parents know little or nothing about life. Then, at age eighteen, he is determined to show everyone "how life should be lived". During his twenties, he begins to realize that his parents may have been right about a few things. By the time he reaches his thirties, he may even begin to ask his parents to advice or guidance now and then. Surely by the time, he finds himself in his forties, he realizes that his parents really did know what they were talking about "way back when".
For me, it is ironic that generations that should have great advantages, aspirations and hopes seem less than enthusiastic about stepping up to the plate and assuming their responsibilities in society. I have often seen an "in it for the glory" mentality among the generation age sixteen through thirty. There is a willingness to participate or perform "as long as I am going to be noticed" for what I am doing. If the task at hand involves menial labor or getting dirty without any glory, then there is less likelihood to step up, express interest or a willingness to get involved. One might call this a "selective work ethic"!
All of us have choices to make, paths to follow, dreams to catch and goals we have set to achieve. The reality of life is that we don't always make the right choices, we do not always follow the right paths, we may not catch our dreams, and our goals may not be achieved in time frame we set for them. Such is life. Isn't it ironic?
~ DB Turnmire
Showing posts with label American dream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American dream. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Living In the Promised Land
Such a title as "Living In the Promised Land" lends itself to a variety of presuppositions for those who may choose to read this blog posting. Today, Sunday, May 10, 2009 seems like an opportune time to blog about life in the "promised land". Mother's Day has been celebrated in many parts of the world today. Many of us are familiar with the saying that there is nothing more American than "motherhood, apple pie and Chevrolet". Of course, there are others who will say that the United States of America is a modern day version of "the promised land".
When the Old Testament Israelites found themselves on the verge of entering the original Promised Land, their vision and their promise was that the new land would be "a land flowing with milk and honey". In fact, at that time, the region of the Middle East referred to as the Promised Land was perhaps the most fertile agricultural land in the world. This bread basket of ancient times was the inheritance that the divine God set aside for His followers.
To me, it seems quite egotistical to boast that modern day Americans live in a promised land. This nation, despite the Pledge of Allegiance as it has been modified from the original [the words "under God" were added to the pledge by Congress in 1954], was founded in part on the principle of "freedom of religion". What our forefathers intended that to mean was there would be no state sponsored religion and the church itself would not be the government. It is not my intention to use this vehicle to debate whether or not some have turned that freedom into "freedom from religion".
What is clear to me is that living as an American in the United States in 2009 is not a divinely appointed right. Nor is the "American dream" something promised and guaranteed for everyone who lives here. It is relevant during these times to remind ourselves that many of us living in this country and the world are only one accident, one illness, one death of a family member, one bad investment or one job loss from finding ourselves homeless, destitute and dependent on the goodness and generosity of others. How quickly and easily "the milk and honey" can dry up and we could end up wandering in the urban desert scavenging for the next meal.
On Mother's Day, when so many millions of mothers, grandmothers, expectant mothers and would-be mothers, along with their families and friends celebrated the blessings that come to us because of motherhood, have we asked ourselves how many more millions of mothers around the world are homeless this year compared to last year? Yes, even right here in what many still consider to be the most prosperous nation in the world. How is is possible for families who once lived the good life now find themselves selling nearly every worldly possession to garner enough money to survive or move from a house to an apartment?
Before I became unemployed, I barely knew of "craigslist". Since then, I have used the local craigslist postings to find numerous job leads. As a result, I have started reading some of the other ads, especially the furniture, free and household listings. One only needs a little knowledge of a world in economic crisis, the home financing debacle in the United States and the large number of individuals who have lost their jobs in the last two years to understand what you are reading and why. For many, the "American dream" is slipping away. As homes are foreclosed or sold, people are forced to dispose of prize possessions which might have taken years to purchase. Imagine being an excited homeowner a few years ago who now is faced with no other choice than to post on craigslist in hopes of some sort of return on an earlier purchase. Such is life in the promised land on May 10, 2009.
~DB Turnmire
When the Old Testament Israelites found themselves on the verge of entering the original Promised Land, their vision and their promise was that the new land would be "a land flowing with milk and honey". In fact, at that time, the region of the Middle East referred to as the Promised Land was perhaps the most fertile agricultural land in the world. This bread basket of ancient times was the inheritance that the divine God set aside for His followers.
To me, it seems quite egotistical to boast that modern day Americans live in a promised land. This nation, despite the Pledge of Allegiance as it has been modified from the original [the words "under God" were added to the pledge by Congress in 1954], was founded in part on the principle of "freedom of religion". What our forefathers intended that to mean was there would be no state sponsored religion and the church itself would not be the government. It is not my intention to use this vehicle to debate whether or not some have turned that freedom into "freedom from religion".
What is clear to me is that living as an American in the United States in 2009 is not a divinely appointed right. Nor is the "American dream" something promised and guaranteed for everyone who lives here. It is relevant during these times to remind ourselves that many of us living in this country and the world are only one accident, one illness, one death of a family member, one bad investment or one job loss from finding ourselves homeless, destitute and dependent on the goodness and generosity of others. How quickly and easily "the milk and honey" can dry up and we could end up wandering in the urban desert scavenging for the next meal.
On Mother's Day, when so many millions of mothers, grandmothers, expectant mothers and would-be mothers, along with their families and friends celebrated the blessings that come to us because of motherhood, have we asked ourselves how many more millions of mothers around the world are homeless this year compared to last year? Yes, even right here in what many still consider to be the most prosperous nation in the world. How is is possible for families who once lived the good life now find themselves selling nearly every worldly possession to garner enough money to survive or move from a house to an apartment?
Before I became unemployed, I barely knew of "craigslist". Since then, I have used the local craigslist postings to find numerous job leads. As a result, I have started reading some of the other ads, especially the furniture, free and household listings. One only needs a little knowledge of a world in economic crisis, the home financing debacle in the United States and the large number of individuals who have lost their jobs in the last two years to understand what you are reading and why. For many, the "American dream" is slipping away. As homes are foreclosed or sold, people are forced to dispose of prize possessions which might have taken years to purchase. Imagine being an excited homeowner a few years ago who now is faced with no other choice than to post on craigslist in hopes of some sort of return on an earlier purchase. Such is life in the promised land on May 10, 2009.
~DB Turnmire
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