What Miserable Lives We Lead!

My heavens, what miserable lives we lead!

From streets not being plowed to our exact specifications  . . . to government agencies not knowing how to spend money the way we want  . . .  to school boards being set on bankrupting its local citizenry . . .  to coaches trying to screw kids out of playing time . . .  to schools raising educational standards attempting to make our children suffer from low self esteem . . . to town councils negotiating for free garbage cans . . . the list goes on.

Wow! I am overwhelmed with the negativity I frequently hear and usually read in our local 30 Seconds column and numerous letters to the editor . . . are we really that angry with life?

I am alarmed--and I guess somewhat amused--by what I am detecting. For whatever reason, an anger pervades many people's lives. While I clearly understand that personal issues and family disruption are serious matters that certainly can lead to a pessimistic life approach, I am finding that many are just plain ticked off at life in general. Maybe it is the result of a long winter, but the negativity I have been hearing has its roots far beyond these past few months. Rather, what I hear is more deep rooted, an anger at authority and a mistrust in practically everything.

What concerns me is that I know how being negative can have a snowball effect on attitudes. I have been in those environments and have found myself adopting the attitudes of those who complained the most. Stories could be shared, but that would merely clutter the point: Negativity breeds negativity. . . and that is not me. I try to be a half-full kind of person, seeing the brighter side of most situations. Yes, I confess to walking the line on a few matters, most notably the Browns and their persistent attempt to PO any loyal fan, and LeBron James, who wears me out with his frequent 1 on 5 mentality, but I do try to get past the negative and look at the positives. Having said that, I offer a few thoughts that are running through my mind at the moment.

It bothers me when . . .
*people complain about street plowing. It's the middle of an Ohio winter, miles and miles of roads need to be cleaned, some people won't move their cars--I have serious doubts that the workers driving the plow trucks are slacking in their responsibility; in fact, we should praise them for working ungodly hours so we can get to work or wherever we are headed.

*people are uninformed about issues, whether they be national, state, or local. As I have stated in previous blogs, when we do not read, we really have no idea what is going on . . . but, boy, do we have opinions. I have a hard time discussing something when the individual I am talking with has only an opinion with little actual knowledge except limited experience with something quasi-related.

*people criticize elected officials particularly at the local level. In this "neck of the woods," the difficulty of getting potential candidates is staggering. Most people want to criticize, but few want to "stick their necks out" and become part of the process. My hunch is that is because most people choose to be uninformed relying most heavily on what they think, not what they truly know. Also, let's face it: public officials do meet resistance from time to time--not that many people have thick enough skin to handle criticism.

*people criticize the raises that "other" people receive, as if implying that nobody but their own selves deserve raises. The American dream is predicated upon getting an education or a skill, developing that talent, and making the most of one's abilities. When that happens, why not applaud those individuals rather than allowing a jealous attitude to emerge? I have a difficult time begrudging anyone's salary particularly when the "little guy" receives a pay increase reflecting job performance and perhaps longevity--congrats is my take.

Bottom line for me is that we live in a relatively safe locale, our schools are the centers of our communities and we are quite proud of them, and our taxes--despite our protests--are much lower than practically any surrounding county. Folks, the valley certainly is not paradise, but it is our home--treasure it . . . unless our lives are so disgruntled that we just can't get past the misery!