We often complain about the condition of our communities and our country. Many of us feel the world is becoming more dangerous, especially in our local communities. We often feel a lack of control and powerless to change this course.
However, to solve our problems we must get to the root of the true issues. We need to take the time to step back and look at the big picture. But what is The Big Picture? At one point in our countries history we had great men who not only were the wise thinkers of their time, but true humanitarians of their day. They had a vision in which things were done for the greater good of all. Somewhere along the way we have lost that vision and in our desire to express individuality we instead have separated, isolated, and divided. We seek what is good for the one rather than the group.
If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that true progress occurs when we come together and work on common goals and we keep in mind what is going to benefit the good of all. Yet today as we are starved for time, we have a select few family and friends that we care about, think about, and want to help. Anyone outside that group we do not see as important. We as a society have reached a point in which we no longer practice empathy towards each other and we no longer teach it to our children. If a person is outside our circle of friends we see nothing wrong with being rude, ignorant, and uncaring. It is in everything we do on a daily basis. When we drive, at the grocery store, in a parking lot, over the phone or any other way that we come across people; we are cold and we are emotionless in those dealings.
It is my opinion that if we want a better community it has to start with improving ourselves first. We must begin by respecting those we do not know, and have a willingness to feel for our fellow human, and really treating someone the same way we want to be treated. Sure people preach such things, yet no one puts it into practice.
I believe that if we start with something small and simple, it can snowball into something large and meaningful. I would challenge my community to start treating strangers with more empathy, and get to know your neighbor. Do random acts of kindness, not once but everyday. Offer a smile to someone sad, be kind to a stranger while driving, offer assistance to someone who looks lost. We as humans can simple look at a fellow human and know how they might be feeling because we know ourselves.
If we start small and simple we can make our communities better, safer, friendlier, and more like a local community should feel. Yet we must be willing to accept some responsibility for our crumbling communities. If we fail to take part, if we fail to care, if we isolate to a small circle then, we can only blame ourselves for this trend that is growing.
It is time for us to reach to the heart of the problem and start taking responsibility for our community. We must stop our self-seeking attitudes and come back to reconnect with each other, reconnect with our neighborhoods, and reconnect to a mentality in which we think of the greater good. Something as simple as this would bring about big changes and make our lives richer.
