I find I must disagree.

We don’t need to tear ourselves down with lamentations on how physically, intellectually, and spiritually lazy we’ve become as a way to build ourselves back up again into something strong, wholesome and fit. No.

This isn’t boot camp. This is real life.

What we need is faith in ourselves that the problems we face as humans are problems we can solve as humans.

Tearing ourselves down only gives fodder to those many who think, ‘oh what’s the use anyway.’

There is use. AND, all that tearing down is massively disrespectful to all the building up that has been going on.

I remember conversations as a young man in the 70’s where words like ‘faggot’ and ‘n…r’ were bandied about as casually as ‘gay’ and ‘black’ are now, but with sneers rather than smiles.

Things have changed.

I remember in 1975 being warned not to drink the water in the Colorado River, at the base of the Bright Angel Trail at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Phosphates. (There’s the real beauty of your old west to the old timers, right there. Mines.)

I remember not being allowed to even swim in Lake Erie in 1965. Too polluted.

I remember inner cities. New York, Philly, even little San Diego, you didn’t go there after dark. Crime.

Things have changed.

I remember democracies being RARE in the world. I remember respected intellectuals discussing whether democracy was a viable form of government, at all, for most countries. We still have a way to go, but democracies are no longer rare. And yes, young democracies are fragile democracies. But magically, they keep sprouting anyway!

Things really have changed.

Give people credit. Please. Telling the team they’re shit doesn’t get it done before the big game. Showing them how much they’ve done, how far they’ve come, how much more they can accomplish…that’s what motivates.

Thank you for the read! I appreciate hearing your perspectives even if I have a differing one.