VOX POPULI
Thursday, October 29, 2020
We should take a moment to think about our fellow man worldwide, where every medical facility’s capacity might be taxed beyond its limits as pandemic case-counts surge in nearly every country.
Instead, we’ll be consumed by a deluge of media, social media, politics, and advertising about who steers the wheel on the big ship USA.
Imagine the collective relief the world might sigh if we didn’t have to spend so much time kvetching about the most outrageous things Donald Trump did on any particular day.
Whether or not Trump has the chops to get re-elected is widely questioned, but so was his likelihood of being elected four years ago.
The sigh of relief the world collectively seeks has nothing to do with Trump v. Biden or republican v. democrat. Still, the sigh of knowing we can all sleep easier at night, we can all walk more lightly and freely on the earth, we can all laugh and play without fear of breathing the air exhaled by someone else – that sigh is overdue, but election night won’t bring it. Peace will bring it. A vaccine won’t bring it, but feeling whole again will bring it. Doing what we love and what is meaningful for us – getting back on our own track as it were – will bring it. For far too many people, there is a feeling of helplessness about getting back on track, a sense of longing for someone else to pass a law, enact a policy, or elect a majority to then deliver solutions …
Life is not about solutions.
Life is about problems.
Work is, business is, politics is, relationships are, and citizenship is too.
A vote, however one-sided or evenly split it might be, reveals what is essential to citizens. The trick, methinks, is to focus on the problems we know are real which aren’t on anyone’s radar screen – because that’s where the action is. That’s where we can do some good. It might not matter to anyone else, but who cares about that? What matters to you is what matters to you. What matters to me is what matters to me. It’s helpful is what we want, need, and beliefs align with other people – because we might find help and collaboration that is useful, but otherwise, we need to go it alone.
A vote is a voice useful only on an election day – not to be wasted.
On all other days, we have a voice and can only be heard if we speak up or speak out. We can use fighting words, or cooperation words, persuasive words, or divisive words. Every citizen of every country claiming freedom of speech can exercise that right while knowing, of course, just as with a secret ballot, freedom has consequences.
These principles transcend borders and oceans – it’s not a solely American issue or problem. It’s a democracy problem nearly everywhere except where it’s a lack of democracy problem. In the next week, we’ll all be sharing our collective angst in hopes for enjoying some collective sigh of relief. Don’t hold your breath.
Wear your mask.
Wash your hands.
Reader feedback:
This, for me, is all about self-love. And it’s beautifully written. I know I am constantly striving to be someone I choose to be, and not necessarily meant to be (by anyone’s standards). Thanks for this, Mark!, KV, Calgary, AB
Mark, part of what you’re saying is, people matter more than things, and I agree completely. I guess the rest is a guide for how to live our lives otherwise, and I can agree with that too, as we all need motivation. LH, Lethbridge, AB
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