This week marks the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s death. I thought about asking you, dear Reader, to tell me where you were the day Kennedy was shot. It is a question that marked my generation. Instead, in a day when our nation faces great trouble, I thought I’d ask you a more positive question.
Taking these words from President Kennedy’s inaugural address, I wonder: What can we do for our country?
I know prayer is the obvious answer. But what else? What concrete, hands-on, local and active thing can we each one do this year for our country?
Any thoughts?
I was at school, in 1st grade. That day I was mostly upset because my rabbit, Thumper, had died the day before. We came in from recess and our teacher, Mrs. Curry, was crying. I remember distinctly how we all sat silently because we had never seen a teacher cry. Our principal, Mrs. Keaner, came in and told us that the President had been killed. As 1st graders it didn’t have the impact it had on the adults. But we could tell something huge had happened.
I was in second grade and remember that same feeling that the world had broken because the teachers were crying. I think that tiny glimpse of the leadership vacuum was echoed around the world. I am praying for true leadership to be restored again now.
Vote!! When we don’t exercise that privilege, we are saying that we don’t care about who leads our nation. We’re saying we’re OK with whatever the rest of the country wants to do. I can count on one hand the number of elections I’ve missed since I became a voting adult. And I don’t just mean vote in the presidential elections. Do your research and vote on everything that comes up on the ballot. Our local turnout percentages are horrible and that is a disgrace. So get out and vote!!
Yes! Excellent call to action, Carol.
Be kind. I think about this every single day. What if we were all just kind? I think it could be amazing. And I think Americans have got to get a hold of proper money management. I want to be free of debt and free of want so I can be free to give. I’d like to live in a way where I can see rationally when the market dips or when the government makes poor money decisions, but it doesn’t terrify me. That would surely make me more useful. I also want to always be a reader and a learner. I can’t rest on tradition or gossip or rhetoric for anything. I want to look for wise ideas and for possibilities for change and for a better world.
(It’s kind of long and self-righteous, but I can’t help it. I think about this a lot.) 🙂
I’m glad you are thinking about these things. Because I know that means you are also doing things about it.