Random thoughts, musings and reflections
On personal accountability, American diversity and personal growth
By Jim LaJoie, co-publisher, contributor
On Personal Accountability
One pillar of my personal values is personal accountability. Every act I perform, every word that I utter, is for me to account for, good or bad. When mistaken, which I have been far more times than I wish were the case, I willingly offer a mea culpa and a pledge to not repeat the error.
To me, that is just basic human decency. It should be one of the bedrock principles of everyone, but especially of those in a position of power. Today, however, it seems that bad behavior is easily excused, shrugged off, unpunished, given a pass depending upon which team the miscreant plays for. It also seems to depend upon the financial resources of the negligent party.
You don’t have to be a rich man (it does seem to be overwhelmingly men) to engage in repulsive behavior and get away with it, but it certainly increases your chances. With enough financial resources you can indulge in blatantly corrupt, vile, morally reprehensible behavior and likely face little consequences. If caught, you can deny, deny, deny. If caught, you can distract from the crime through misdirection. If caught, you can just leverage your financial resources, your network of powerful - and equally contemptible friends - to evade any legal or moral consequences. And, perhaps most repugnantly, those who see you as a member of their tribe, will blithely ignore the behavior, will offer the most outrageous, ludicrous excuses, will deny the blood that is on their hands.
The preamble to the Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”. This is the America I believe in, a nation committed to the equality of all, the principle that all people will be treated the same, including if you have committed an indefensible act.
That is not the America of today. This is not my America.
Overheard one day
Recently, while at the gym, I overheard someone say the following:
“This economy has been great for me. My retirement portfolio is doing great. I think all the talk of affordability is overblown by the media.”
I am happy for this person that their financial situation is fine. My wife and I are doing fine. However, I realize that my situation, my fellow resident at the gym’s situation, is not that of everyone. This nation is made up of many, many others. I wanted to say to this person: “you are not the only person living on this planet. Talk to some outside of your circle, there are real issues confronting many, especially younger people struggling to afford health care, child care and - maybe - purchase a house”.
There is a real danger in thinking that your personal situation, whether good or bad, is that of everyone. It isn’t. A little perspective goes a long way. A little compassion for those less fortunate is noble.
Another quick note: it is not the media’s job to tailor their reports to fit your confirmation bias.
America the diverse
There seems to be so much hate toward fellow Americans these days. From its start, this nation has been more heterogenous than homogeneous. We have always been more a quilt than a monochromatic blanket. We have always been a land of many nationalities.
There are many, many people in this country who don’t truly understand the history of the nation, or choose to rewrite that history.
On personal growth
One of my favorite sports teams was just completely, and I mean completely, overmatched in the Super Bowl. I realized after the game, that unlike my younger days, I could just shrug off the defeat and head off to bed without any angst or emotional turmoil. The younger me would have stewed over this defeat for several days.
I thought about this the following day. What does this mean? I believe it means that age has given me a better perspective on the role sports plays in my life. Although I am still an ardent sports fan, I can enjoy following my favorite sports teams knowing that there are far more important things in my life. A loss by one of my favorite teams has no relevance to my self-esteem. I would have preferred a win, but a loss doesn’t impact the most important things in my life.
Perhaps there is a bit of wisdom that comes with age. Either that, or it just took me longer to learn valuable lessons.
Jim, that was wonderful. Without mentioning his name we all got the picture. It is so sad what is happening to our country. It seems like we are helpless, but I see the strength of the Minnesotans and am encouraged. We cannot stay silent! God Bless America! We really need it.
Kathy B.