Today is Robert's birthday. Yesterday was the birthday of the United States Marine Corp. Somehow I think the connection of birthdays is more than coincidence. In 1951, Robert entered the Marine Corps. They took an unfocused, drifting, high school drop-out and gave him self-confidence and a belief that he could control his own life. Then the government finished the job by providing him with the means (GI Bill) to use his new ambition to do something with his life.
Robert wouldn't be where he is today without the USMC and the GI Bill. His second chance began with his newly-discovered blend of personal initiative and responsibility, but those individual qualities wouldn't have meant much without the GI Bill. So Obama and Romney were both half right, but as always, the truth is often at the Golden Mean.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
ONE DAY
This was sent to a seminar on December 14, 2010.
This is a call to action. The message of ONE DAY is simple. It is a call to working people of America to take one day a week in which they and their family members will re-take control of their lives. On that ONE DAY, say a Wednesday, all will refrain from watching TV or using any electronic device such as a cell phone, computer, ipod, smart phone, and the like, unless use of such technology is required by one's employment. For that ONE DAY, through acts of self-discipline and self-denial, we will regain our humanness, for we will be beyond the reach of media, corporations, advertising, and politicians. ONE DAY declares that this act of self-discipline is the beginning of how to empower people through their recognition of a common bond regardless of the numerous differences that, we are told constantly, divide us.
What should people do on this ONE DAY with their new benefit of having more time? The possibilities are endless, but they could include solitary activities like reading a book or starting a new hobby. They could also involve joining an existing community group that one has read about and found interesting. Or they could start new community groups with neighbors, focusing on their concerns and their ideas for creating better lives and better communities. The possibilities are endless, but they will emerge from the concerns and interests of people living their daily lives and facing common uncertainty about the future.
This is not a call to eliminate electronic technology, but to make it work for us in ways that deal with our concerns. The call of ONE DAY is especially important to the tens of millions of young Americans who feel empowered by the electronic technology because it provides ties to others beyond the prying eyes of adults. But beware, because unless you take control of the nano-world you will become an insignificant click in a wired world that will control you from cradle to grave.
This is a call to action. The message of ONE DAY is simple. It is a call to working people of America to take one day a week in which they and their family members will re-take control of their lives. On that ONE DAY, say a Wednesday, all will refrain from watching TV or using any electronic device such as a cell phone, computer, ipod, smart phone, and the like, unless use of such technology is required by one's employment. For that ONE DAY, through acts of self-discipline and self-denial, we will regain our humanness, for we will be beyond the reach of media, corporations, advertising, and politicians. ONE DAY declares that this act of self-discipline is the beginning of how to empower people through their recognition of a common bond regardless of the numerous differences that, we are told constantly, divide us.
What should people do on this ONE DAY with their new benefit of having more time? The possibilities are endless, but they could include solitary activities like reading a book or starting a new hobby. They could also involve joining an existing community group that one has read about and found interesting. Or they could start new community groups with neighbors, focusing on their concerns and their ideas for creating better lives and better communities. The possibilities are endless, but they will emerge from the concerns and interests of people living their daily lives and facing common uncertainty about the future.
This is not a call to eliminate electronic technology, but to make it work for us in ways that deal with our concerns. The call of ONE DAY is especially important to the tens of millions of young Americans who feel empowered by the electronic technology because it provides ties to others beyond the prying eyes of adults. But beware, because unless you take control of the nano-world you will become an insignificant click in a wired world that will control you from cradle to grave.
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