I'm not going to lie, this "glass half full" kind of guy has spent the last several weeks with a lot on his mind. Mostly, trying to repair the very glass, which has become cracked and leaking on a daily basis.
When did we as Americans suddenly give ourselves permission to be our worst selves? We're everywhere. In addition to regularly infiltrating our social media pages with toxicity, what I will call America's worst selves, are getting louder and more outspoken and in our neighborhoods, our friendships, our families, in our stores, our restaurants, our work-places, our airports, on our airplanes, on our ballots and in our government buildings. I could go on. Those who are louder, more vile and yell in ALL CAPS are celebrated and applauded. Where did we go wrong? It keeps me up at night.
Why have phrases like "fake news, Let's go Brandon, buck fiden, lock her up, sheep, socialist, communist, fascist", become the popular hashtags de jour? Because we have allowed ourselves to become our own worst selves. Why do we celebrate bringing people down? Setting people up for failure? Presidents falling asleep? It's happened for years. But when it's the guy you don't like, watch out! Why do we spit in the face of scientists, doctors, nurses, public safety officials and our the public servants who are elected to serve when we disagree with them? Because we have become our own worst selves.
Suddenly, no one is to be trusted. News, employers, politicians, medical professionals, scientists, teachers. police, fire, judges. Who do we trust if not the very people that just a few years back had our utmost support and admiration. Hell, our kids wanted to be these people when they grew up! Why would they want to be today?
Somewhere along this the journey to becoming our own worst selves, our egos got in the way and we tripped over them. Suddenly it's not about country or service or unity or caring or empathy. It's about self. We have become oh so selfish. But how does this affect me? This realization is when my glass cracked.
The spirit of unity in our country seems to be gone. I remember the days following 9/11. As full of emotion and sadness those days were, the spirit of unity in our country was two fold. The divide between the right and left is the widest I have ever seen. There is no middle. There is no common sense. Hell, there is no sense whatsoever. We are broken. We continue to bicker over Critical Race Theory, which many don't even know what it is, vaccines, masks, mandates, data, elections, and global warming. Meanwhile our houseless remain unhoused, our streets are full of needles and feces and trash, families who have lost loved ones suffer, we go to work and wonder who else will show up and what sensationalized drama we will have to endure today. We cringe to think about what we will say in uncomfortable conversations with our neighbors, families, friends, co-workers. The eggshells are endless aren't they.
We are so divided. I seem to be holding an empty and cracked glass. I wonder what and when things will change?
