Apathy

First off, I want to apologize if this one comes off somewhat negative or pessimistic. However, the reason I'm writing about this topic will hopefully drive home my point about how our world is these days.

I've seen so much over this lifetime, particularly over the past couple of years and especially in the past few months that leads me to this subject. Everywhere I look I see it; people apathetic about events, circumstances, and even people around them, including their very own families. So much of what our society and each of us have become individually in today's world is because of events we find so out of our control that we choose to do certain things to shield and insulate ourselves from them. We hide out. We hide in our homes, our cars, our offices, our work environment, wherever we go we try to find ways to avoid what we see as tragedy and wrong-doing. It's not that we don't care, it's just that we seem to always say certain things, things like "What can I do? Nothing I do is going to make a difference anyway!" I can think of several instances where I've heard these sentiments. Politics is a prime example. The leaders of our country, or the lack thereof, depending on one's point of view. There are many other examples I'm sure; the decline of our rural culture, consolidation of key industries such as insurance, banking, airlines, auto makers, and on and on. Everywhere you look you see it. No one seems to care. All I see others doing is going about their day as if no one else existed. Not me. I refuse to give in to that mentality.

It's a herd mentality when you stop to think about it. Think of the movie "A Few Good Men." Remember when Tom Cruise asked one of the marines when he was on the witness stand what he did at chow time? "Following the herd" I think is what he said. In reality, that's what so many of us do. We FOLLOW. Who decides who is to LEAD? You? Me? Or is it always "someone else?" Ponder this for a moment. We're a society of followers, always waiting for someone else to "take the lead."

At this point, you may be asking yourself this question. I know I would if I were you. What's YOUR solution "Gusto?" I'm not certain there's an easy answer to that but I'll try it from this viewpoint. One of the many lessons I've learned over the past few years is that CHANGE, change for myself and the world in which I live, comes not from what others can do for me. Change starts within. It starts within each one of us. WE, each of us, has that power. We can choose. God gave us free will, that being the choice of right or wrong. I choose right. And If I choose to do the "right" thing, following what my God-given instincts tell me that is, and you do it as well, then change will begin on a mass scale. Then we become a nation of leaders. Not a nation of followers. It is at that very moment that the possibilities for what might seem unimaginable or unattainable as individuals and as a society become reality!

"Gusto"