My "ponderings" on the drive in to work today - what do you think?

[NRaleighLiberal]

I was sitting on my deck this morning chatting with my wife. She just read the NY Times Sunday article on the China reporter detention. China - land of abuse of rights. I work for a company that is just about to go there in a big way. We have the Bush misadministration, we have Cheney, we have Paris and Anna Nicole. etc etc etc

We've always been empathetic, we've always been concerned, involved, connected. But, now that we've passed 50, and having grown up in a time that, for whatever reason, seemed "better" - I wonder if anyone else is feeling like we - the collective, big "WE" - not just Americans, but civilization in general - are now in decline culturally, morally, intellectually.

We appear to have crossed lines that will be difficult to uncross. Our lifestyle works - or has worked up to now - because we feel connected, those more fortunate helped those less fortunate. We stop at red lights. We don't steal each other's mail. We care for the environment (or perhaps these should all start moving into the past tense). We tell the truth.

But, what do we see now? We see people - incredibly hypocritical people in positions of power - use religion as a weapon. We see people just outright, visibly lying, in the face of clear evidence that they do so. We see an incredible division of have and have not - we see Katrina. But even worse, we see that the line can be crossed and there is nothing to pay - the reason that Bush, Cheney et al are now so bold to parade the lies and deception is that no one can, or will, do anything about it. Once that line is crossed and it is clear that anyone can do whatever they want, the whole fabric of our culture breaks down. Hope starts to dissolve - it becomes every person for themselves.

So, we sit on our deck and drink our coffee and watch the birds - and wonder if we are at a point where we are becoming powerless - we need to find our own peace and sanctuary. We do what we can, we make the calls that we can, we protest, we blog, but essentially, we have seen the best of our culture, and because of - what - natural evoluation, the incidious impact of corporate media - advertising, mindnumbing crap TV, dumbing down, apathy - our ability to make a difference is degraded.

I don't want this to be a downer, and I've not lost all hope - but I have to admit that watching the impotence of the left to fight the visible crimes of the right over the past 7 years, watching corporations flock to a country that has no regard at all for people, this all leads to a feeling of increased isolation, and wishing to just make our own little piece of the world as fulfilling as possible.

[GeorgeGist]

1. A paradigm shift ...

for the better is in the making while the old one is breaking. Be patient.

[Dhalgren]

2. My wife and I had a discussion just this weekend that touched on the points

you raise. We are looking at what we can do, just to insure a little peace and tranquility for us two oldsters. We don't want to "drop out", but our options are fading fast...

[CrispyQ]

3. My husband & I feel the same way.

We thought we might start seeing things get really bad toward the end of our lives. With each passing day that moves up. I'm not so sure things won't get really bad in the next 10-15 years. I have become more pessimistic the last 7 years.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Why I intend to move to another part of the globe in 2010. I want peace and away from

the consumerism crap.

[snappyturtle]

5. I'm going to K&R this because I think you have hit on a point

many of us have....thanks for posting it.

We feel exactly as you do....we too sit back and watch the birds and feel powerless. We too write, call (my husband is doing so as I write), and try to keep well informed. Unfortunately, the better informed we are the more powerless we feel. Hopefully, matters will turn around soon....we haven't totally lost hope either...you aren't alone!

[kickysnana]

6. Act ng locally helps...

I moved with my Aunt, a recent stroke victim, into a subsidized Senior Apartment building in a suburb previously unfrequesnted. There are about 118 apartments and everyone has extended family of one kind or another. They started an afternoon coffee two months ago and part of what has evolved is people hearing about problems their neighbors are having and everyone tries to come up with some solution so people can get the health care, cleaning assistance, transportation assistance (bus service is very limited an unavailable on Sunday here). Sometimes even having a neighbor speak to children or grandchildren clears up that there is a real need for help.

What I did notice is that people seem more content and are slower to criticize, and people are more willing to open up and ask for help.

If everyone in your neighborhood is doing OK I know of one thing that my Aunts brief stay in a nursing home revealed. There are places for seniors to go as they age but in the last 20 years it is buildings that have assistance and you have to find and apply to each building rather than to a central authority. Many nursing home residents find themselves having to change living arrangement. The Social Worker said that she could not help people find housing because it would take up all her time, except to offer links and books to allow the people or family members to do ti themselves. Those without family to help spent much longer in the nursing home than they needed to. Most nursing homes are bad places for all but the sickest of patients. I helped two others find housing at the same time I got housing for us. The nursing home is quite far away but if I get an opportunity of some free time I hope to make that a project but there are lots and lots of nursing homes.

[AndyTiedye]

7. You Are Mistaking Despair for Apathy

Voting doesn't work anymore. Protests don't work anymore.
Writing one's Congressperson doesn't work anymore.
Nobody in DC will stand up to them because of NSA blackmail
and the threat of being Wellstoned.

It isn't that the people don't care. The people have been defeated.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. I had a similar conversation with a dear friend of mine.

We agreed that if either of us fail to "make our own little piece of the world" as peaceful and nurturing, as possible, we'll have nothing left to give outside that world.

I believe, the Serenity Prayer,...is a good one, because,...it reminds us that we do have power within ourselves without having power over 'phenomena' beyond our control, and the struggle to figure the difference between what we can influence in a positive way and what we can not is a perpetual one. Wisdom is never something you get but rather something you grow each day.

Moreover, maybe, just maybe,...the impotence you think you see,...is really the hard-knocks necessary to incite awareness, greater human awareness.