I believe a degree of adversity accompanied by early and quality education helps build character and strength in individuals.

Many years ago I “migrated” from Washington State to a small University town in California with my seven year old daughter. We had little money and no contacts at our destination, only an admission to graduate school. We were lucky, an apartment complex run under the government subsidy program had a one bedroom apartment opening up, and having a dependent child propelled me to the top of the list. However, it would not be available for at least a month, possibly two months. I located a room in a downtown hotel that was very inexpensive and, it turned out, was the habitat for winos and the most down and outs in town. The communal shower was filthy (we wore sandals when showering).  We were often awakened in the night by someone trying our locked door! The atmosphere was dark and dismal and not exactly a great life for a child.  But we had a bright light of hope only weeks away, and the day we entered the small, albeit bright, clean and warm apartment, hope became a reality and was the beginning of our journey toward being productive and contributing members of society.

Many Americans had ancestors who risked their lives traveling across the continent, facing hardship, starvation, even imminent death in order to find a better life for their families. Many were lost along the way, but descendants of those travelers inherited a much larger, more civilized and richer nation because of such sacrifices.

The country in which I grew up was in the midst of a world war and goods were rationed, fathers were away on the battlefield or distant locations working on defense issues. Mothers were out of the house working at defense plants, generally for the first time. We had very little meat, no real butter, and very few luxuries, if any. Again, much suffering as families lost sons, fathers,

brothers fighting “over there”, and even some sisters and mothers as nurses and aids were lost in the war zones.

Now we, the beneficiaries of our predecessors struggles, are totally failing to live up to their hopes and ambitions for the country they suffered and fought for.  Our citizenry is now facing the results of our neglect concerning the disparity in wealth our culture has encouraged.  We now have an overwhelming number of homeless, children with food deprivations, and health issues going without medical care because of the cost. At the same time we, as a people, have become entitled and demanding. We want what we want, now, and perfect. There are incidents of individuals attacking, even killing, food servers for a perceived error or neglect. Disgruntled workers take their guns and kill fellow workers. Young men take military style weapons and execute children in their schools.

There is an over abundance of rage in this country, often among individuals who actually have good jobs, nice houses and families. Some of the causes are obvious … social media has fanned the flames, and the emphasis of winning at any cost has corrupted our politics. The pandemic kept people sequestered for far too long. The rise of conspiracy theorists, and outright liars, especially in the broadcast media, has created a bubble for certain personalities to cling to. Some politicians have hamstrung our educational system and attempted…are attempting…to undo our representative democracy. But the “fault lies not in the stars, but in ourselves”, not that we are “underlings”, but that we have become weak within, entitled, discontented and, yes, bored. We have also raised a generation or two who have not been well educated about our government, our history, the world, or how to debate, discuss and…horrors…compromise. Listen to some of the man on the street interviews. Simple questions about government…like “name the three branches of government…”,  who is their representative in congress, even who is president.  Some do not know what the Revolutionary War was, thought Alaska was a country, and did not know what two countries bordered the USA. What are the four directions on the compass received the answer… what’s a compass?

Perhaps these younger generations needed to experience a bit more adversity and a bit less partying? Or more limited time sitting at their computers, phones and tablets? Or a childhood with access to Schoolhouse Rock! Or Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Or Sesame Street. My daughter was raised with all of the above, experiencing life with highly limited luxuries, entertained by shows that emphasized learning and understanding life, history, and the world we live in. She could tell you how a bill was created at the age of 9 and certainly knew what countries bordered the USA.   Not to castigate all members of younger generations, some of our young people today have been through the fire (literally), and have come out using their energy to educate themselves and fight for a better, safer world. Hopefully some of those individuals will become tomorrows leaders, and take our country to a better future than their forebears left for them.

My daughter and I have lived checkerboard lives, moving forward the proverbial two steps and back one…sometimes one and a half.  Our journey prepared us for the ups and downs life hands to everyone, and gave us the resilience to keep trying and the empathy to understand and try to help others.  Unfortunately today I am watching a large swath of my fellow citizens embracing  ridiculous conspiracy stories, calling for a war in which they could annihilate their neighbors, wanting to create violence in order to get their way without understanding the consequences of said violence…to them, their friends, their country, the world. We need a citizenry raised to be resilient problem solvers, capable of thinking on their feet, compromising when necessary, well versed in how government works and educated in world history, including mans inhumanities towards each other. We need children raised knowing that life requires hard work, accepting losses, being thoughtful and kind to others, and perhaps a bit of humility that they are not the center of the universe. We need a new Great Generation! I will undoubtedly be a faint memory by the time our young heroes manage to turn the world around, but I have confidence it will happen. We see elements of that probability in the new Democratic ticket, calling for joy and forward movement. My sorrow is for those who have  been damaged in the meantime by misinformation, unnecessary violence and corrupt politicians.  My hope is that Mother earth will right herself, and humanity will find peace and love. Remember, the fault lies in ourselves, and only we can right the ship.  Be a hero, vote in November however difficult the task, and check your registration status now! Peace.

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