Litter

This blog is the result of a suggestion from my wife who wishes to remain anonymous so I won’t mention her name.

When you pass down a road, street, avenue or boulevard of what must you be careful? Well, in some cities it’s car jackers; in others it’s stray bullets whizzing through the air; in some towns it is red light runners and those who do not observe the other rules of the road. All of these acts are indicative of elements of our culture who have devolved into a lawless state. But an even more constant reminder of the growing lawlessness of our society in every city, town and hamlet is litter. Everything from cigarette butts, fast food containers, beer and energy drink cans to sofas, used televisions and abandoned cars. The detritus of our civilization is piling up in our streets, byways and waterways.

Each act of discarding a piece of litter is an act of unlawfulness as well as an expression of disregard for the rules of our society. The government will pick it up if it gets too bad is perhaps the thought that some use to rationalize this vandalism, and vandalism it is. It’s just as bad as graffiti on walls, trashing vacant houses or kicking headstones over in a cemetery.

But here’s the thing, if we can teach people not to litter the shootings will subside and the number of red lights run will drop. Why? Because the concept of personal responsibility within our society will expand from not littering to not shooting, to not cheating on our taxes.

The more I consider this the more depressing it becomes because to change culture is such an impossibly huge task. BUT, I do know part of the answer: If I act responsibly and expect you to act responsibly and you do and, in turn you expect those you know to act responsibly and they do, we’ll have a start. As I have said before, change isn’t a bad thing unless it is for the worse so let’s change things for the better. Each of us must take responsibility for ourselves and our actions within society and make it clear that we expect similar actions from others.

I could descend into the depths of a depressing observation of the increasingly lower levels to which our society is falling but news is depressing enough as is. This is nothing new: the answer has always been there; treat others as you would be treated and that starts with treating yourself with respect. “An unexamined life is not worth living,” so said Socrates who probably didn’t say it, but was purported to have done so by Plato, which was a nome de plume for a Greek named Aristocles. So examine your life, shore up your weak spots and exploit your talents, Then treat others as you would be treated and you’ll become an influencer. You’ll probably never know the real influence you exert but it will be more than you think. I wish you Good Luck, knowing that you understand the definition of Luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation. In this matter opportunity presents itself constantly and it is up to you to be prepared and take advantage. Nuff said.