“…because out of the ashes of the old…there has risen a new…”. *
For the first time since voting in presidential elections (I’ve been eligible twice, so you know what that means), I have absolute faith in the man we’ve chosen to lead our country. So I believe our country needs to listen. We need to trust. We need to let this man do his job and HELP him help *us* build our future.
In the meantime?
This sharp punch of humility might be good for us all!
I’m not denying that the times suck! I’ve spent the past week scrambling to find jobs for my parents…both laid off. And every day at the office is dead-man-walking due to the dozens of coworkers getting ‘displaced’ (the company letting them go in tiny amounts so that the media doesn’t pick up the news is even MORE perplexing).
I hate seeing my favorite stores close their doors forever and I’m actually MOURNING the loss of my Sunday brunch cafe.
But, not all is crumbling.
I’m noticing people’s core values taking 1st priority in their lives. The masses are penny-pinching and living BELOW their means. They’re looking to their parents and grandparents for advice on how to sustain. Families are eating at home…together. They’re taking road trips instead of stress-inducing vacations…together. They’re giving up cable and pulling out old board games…TOGETHER!
I, for one, am starting to appreciate. I no longer view my house as a stepping stone to another. The constant question “What’s next?” has left my mind. Instead, I’m focused on enjoying what’s around me.
I have complete faith that President Obama, given time, will skim the fat and lead us to a better path. I have faith in the entrepreneurial spirit of our generation to take full advantage of this time to build better companies and stronger institutions. I have faith that we will learn much from this decade and use that knowledge to strengthen our values, invest in our minds, and rise from the ashes to build our future.
* “I speak of the old Japan, because out of the ashes of the old Japan there has risen a new Japan.” Shigeru Yoshida (Oh, the irony!)
