ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DOLLAR

Tennessee Ernie Ford sang, "You load sixteen tons and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt."  Another old saying I have heard so often, "Another day, another dollar."  Such statements speak of a resignation that life is futile.  No matter how we may work, the result is the same.  The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  Now wait, before you go off the deep end!  This is not a rant.  This is an observation about attitude and seeing life.

It is easy to fall into the trap of looking at life through the lenses of the traditions or teachings that have been passed on to us and the experiences we have had along of life journey.  These lenses can be saddles with blinders that can prevent us from something bigger than the road we travel so the load we carry gets heavier and the pace slows.  We feel trapped.  We stop trying and settle for the way things are rather than what they could be.

We do what is expected us and what we are taught are the keys to success and we find the struggle is not what we expected.  We feel like failures because we have not measure the level of "success" that a sibling has or a friend has.  We work hard, we get a college degree, we are faithful, loyal, and productive employees.  Prices continue to rise and our incomes stay almost the same as we may or may not get a raise.  We feel the discontent of others so we become the follower.  We swallow the political party line or the attitudes of those we call family and friends for we want to be accepted.

When we dare to break the grind and drudgery of the way things are, we often stand alone.  It is so much easier to follow the crowd whether they are right or wrong.  We allow things we know that are wrong because we fear for our lives or we fear rejection and being ostracized.

How do we break the hold that tradition has on us?  How do we overcome the "mob mentality" of being a follower and agreeing to actions and words that we know are wrong?

The United States has long declared itself to the the "melting pot" of the world.  We are witnessing the clash of cultures, the deadlock of political power, and the fallout of being the world's biggest hypocrite.  We don't practice what we preach.  Is this really new?  No, sad to say, it is not new.  We are like so many generations before us.  We have ideals and mores that guide us.  We have religions that show us the better way, yet it all boils down to choice.

Those who lead us choose a path.  The opposition chooses a path.  We would like for them to do what is in the best interest of the country.  Yet, they are thrown into the opinions of those who yell the loudest.  As individuals, we often seek meekly by hoping it will all go away for we are busy dealing with our own situation wearing the blinders that only allow us to the see the clay dirt road in front of us with deep ruts.  Filled with fear we might veer to far to the right or left or even worse bog down in road, we push on oblivious to the world around us.

Choosing the road less traveled calls for choices that often bring change and challenges from the majority.  Jesus once asked the question, "Who will give his soul in exchange for the world?"  This question is deeper than most think.  It is call to action that involves challenges to the way things are.

Think about it.

Roy