Captain's Log - 48th Year - The Reflection

Today marks the end of my 48^th year of living.

Wow – that’s kinda depressing. Let’s try that again:

Today marks the start of my 49^th year on this Earth.

That sounds like I’m from another planet. I’m not. I promise.

One last try:

Today’s my birthday. I’m 48 years old.

OK. To the point. It’ll work.

In keeping with tradition that accompanies annual milestones – New Year’s Day, wedding anniversary, graduation day, tax day (the saddest of the lot), and birthdays – I think I’ll reflect on the year that just past.

So when I make an entry into my captain’s log on this last successful trip around the sun, what should I say? What is it that most impacted me from March 11, 2015 to March 9, 2016?

Hmm…

Well, I’ve fully entered that stage in life when reality has unloaded the truck, unpacked its boxes, and, for all intents and purposes, seems to have moved into its new home – 48 Walt’s Brain Place, Melancholy Valley, USA – for good. I’m a little worried though, because on the change of address notification my new guest is sending its friends, it lists its new home as “the place where dreams go to die.” I thought that was in Baton Rouge. Nevertheless, I could certainly use this development as the focus of my reflection.

Maybe later.

Given the current state of our presidential primaries, we really don’t need any more depressing news, do we?

So, what really grabbed me and shook me during my 48^th year of existence?

I think it may be the new insight I gained about the human spirit.

One thing I’ve learned over the last 48 years is that learning is inherently good. But, that doesn’t mean that everything learned is inherently good. Case in point: I’ve recently learned that revenge is a powerful motivator. Now that may be handy to know if I wrong someone, but it’s certainly not something to add to my repertoire. I think revenge is what’s fueling the illogical love-fest with the current Republican front-runner for president, for instance.

The human spirit has taken many hits over the decades, often at the hands of progressive ideologies. We are now reaping the crops that have been sewn by fairness doctrines that destroy foundational freedoms, social handicapping disguised as justice, purposeful erosion of the family in favor of a power-hungry ruling class, and an overall moral decay due in large part to political correctness. Society has turned into a reality show where decency and integrity have been all but forgotten. Now, belligerence and incivility seem to be accepted, even encouraged, for our highest-ranking leader. The front-runners for President at this moment – Trump and Hillary - are indeed anomalies. But they are products of a misguided human spirit.

On the one hand, dependency has now engulfed a large segment of our population, subtly enslaving the human spirit. The more people get, the more they want to continue getting it. So, many crush incentive and self-reliance underfoot on their way to claim that to which they believe they are entitled. They have found a leader who will not only leave the valve open but also open it further.

On the other, revenge has gripped the villagers, which should not be surprising. With a human spirit that has been force-fed ideals that revolve around narcissism, revenge is the most logical response to years of non-representation and oppressive edicts from the ruling elite. This lynch mob has awakened, angry at its condition, ignorant of the causes, and hell-bent on making someone pay. They have found a leader who spouts venom at anyone who opposes or even questions him. He is someone to whom they think they can relate, because he says what’s on their mind and promises revenge. Big picture? Repercussions? Who cares as long as we get ‘em.

So, that’s the dark side of the human spirit that has come to the forefront of late.

But, I’m not quite old enough to eat my dessert before my meal, you know, just in case I kick the bucket before finishing. No, I still like to save the best for last. Like eating all the cookie pieces first and saving as many of the marshmallows in my morning bowl of Lucky Charms ‘til the end. Can I get a “true dat?” Anyone?

So, even more inspirational, even more impactful than the ludicrous political state of affairs today is the resilience, love, hope, and forgiveness of the human spirit I witnessed over the last 365 days. I need not look any further than my own state of South Carolina for that. In the face of deadly and overwhelming floods, the human spirit endured and even flourished. Determined to persevere, citizens supported each other, cared for each other, loved each other. They rebuilt homes, businesses, lives, and relationships.

In the aftermath of unspeakable tragedy caused by pure evil, families of victims gunned down in a church in Charleston responded with forgiveness and love. At a time when the world was preparing for revenge and uncontrolled fury, like that which was being seen in other areas of the country, mothers, fathers, siblings, sons and daughters reached deep inside and found the only way to destroy the dark – not with more darkness, but with light. The human spirit soared with hope and exemplified all that is still good in us. I could not have been more proud of my home.

While the world planted the seeds that sprouted a corrupt human spirit, the virtuous version came from God. So, on both accounts – the good and the bad – I learned that human spirit still amazes and surprises me.

Is this acceptable insight after 48 years? I don’t know. I think it might be a decent contemplation on yet another year lived with a purpose of learning and growing.

Now, where’s the cake. I’ve earned a slice. My human spirit is hungry. Or maybe that's just my stomach. 

Road Tripping with the Primaries

This may be an over-simplified metaphorical view of where our nation is right now in respect to choosing a leader, but this is how I see it:

Our nation is a vehicle (I couldn't decide which fit better - sedan, sports car, limo, pickup, minivan, Jeep, electric car - you could really make a case for any of these and others) heading down an interstate in the wrong direction. In fact, the direction is a perilous one. We've picked up a full head of steam over the last 8 years, but have been traveling in this direction for most of the last 7 decades. Oh, we've taken a few detours and actually turned around and headed back in the right direction for a few years, but now, we are barreling downhill in the fast lane, pedal to the metal, throwing caution to the wind. 

"Um...excuse me, Mr. Driver? Notice the edge of the cliff ahead? Nope? I was afraid of that..."

We have a map. Our driver refuses to use it. He even scoffs at it, considering it outdated and not applicable to our system of roads today. "After all," he proclaims, "it shows our destination should be the other way. Those who created this map must not have been very bright."

This driver is about to pull over and give someone else an opportunity to drive, though, and we, the passengers, get to decide who that driver will be. 

It would seem now is quite possibly our last chance to save our vehicle and ourselves, both of which are currently catastrophe-bound. While we get this choice every four years, haven't often had the most accomplished drivers from which to choose, unfortunately. Thus, our situation now is dire. 

This time, though, we actually have a great driver within the driver candidate ranks. Problem is, most of the passengers aren't in favor of our present heading and are having trouble choosing a driver. There are really 5 possible drivers at this point:

Two drivers want to keep on trucking. One of them prefers to ride separately and secretly in an unmarked car with fully-tinted windows, while the other wants to pile everyone in a VW bus and sing Lennon's "Imagine" all the way. Either choice changes nothing really. The destination and rate of travel remain the same - merrily hurtling along to our devastation.

One driver claims he'd like to turn around and head back, but is being swayed to simply slow way down. "C'mon," they whisper into his rather large ears, "makes the speed bumps a little less noticeable. Plus, we navigators have figured out ways to make a nice living at this and remain navigators for life. You know, it's rough back there with the passengers - we don't have to ride like they do. Why listen to them and spoil what we have? You are one of us, aren't you? Don't worry, you don't have to tell them." With this driver, we'll slow down, we'll exit the interstate for a while, then get back on, go right, then left, almost aimlessly. The passengers alone will have to provide the fuel and food of the navigators' choosing and settle for the scraps and horrendous gas mileage. Ultimately, we'll still head in a misguided direction.

One driver has convinced the majority of passengers who wish to turn around to simply give him the power to drive unhindered by any law, any expectation, any map. His heading takes the nation off the interstate, and hurtles it up an off-ramp, over a wall, and into who knows where. With a lead foot on the gas, immovable hair slicing the wind, middle finger extended out the window, this egomaniacal road hog drives wherever he wants to. Needless to say, while the destination may certainly be different, it won't be where the map indicates. One thing's for sure - this driver will control the vehicle at all costs. There's a good chance the wheels fall off, roof blows away, windshield shatters, hood flies open, and the engine bursts into flames, causing an explosion of legendary proportion that kills us all.

But there is a driver who knows the map. He knows that the only way to get back to where we belong is to follow the map. He wants to make an immediate U-turn and follow the directions of the map. The navigators don't like this driver because he has told the passengers that he will follow the map, which will take away power from the navigators. When they whisper in his ear, he refuses to listen and he lets the passengers know about their conniving ways. For obvious reasons, those who wish to keep going in the same direction (and there are quite a few misguided souls), don't like him, either. This group also includes the sign makers who push the vehicle onward toward its doom. They are very convincing to the average passenger. So, this driver must fight an uphill battle to get passengers to look past the deception of the navigators, sign makers, and megalomaniacs who don't care about the passengers or the map, and to choose him, the only driver determined to turn the vehicle around and to get back on the right road, the same road indicated on our map.

Who will be driving come November? If it's not that last driver, don't be surprised if passengers start bailing out, even at full speed, having given up on saving the vehicle and, instead, focused on rescuing themselves.