Dog Days of Summer

This is one of those essays I occasionally write where I unburden myself of some unpleasant thoughts that threatened to invade my mind and (temporarily) ruin my outlook on life. Driving home from work today and listening to a particularly inane and racist local radio host, it occurred to me that the negativity in the air lately is surrounding me and that I needed to beat a hasty retreat from it, and seek more agreeable thoughts- at least for a while. It also occurred to me that when I start to feel this way, the influences that are weighing on me are almost entirely there by my own invitation. I’m a news junkie- I’m addicted to current events and political discourse. There, I’ve admitted it.

For me, this dangerous addiction began during my high school days. We got a new Principal the year I entered high school, a small Catholic School in my home town. And this particular Principal had been a Principal in another school where he had a very successful debate team before being transferred to our little town.  As you might guess, he was determined to build a debate team at his new home. He had an uncanny recruiting method. He took all incoming freshmen and gave them a choice between Debate and Choir. Look, you have start somewhere- forced servitude can be an effective way to get the numbers when you’re trying to start a team from nothing. So, I ended up in debate. I also stayed with it and found pretty good success. One of the by-products of this priest’s instruction and teaching methods was to instill in those of us that stayed with it a true appreciation of logic, knowledge, research, and the art of expression. He was the most influential teacher in my life. But he also got me totally hooked on watching the world and all its fascinating events, while constantly seeking to analyze it, research it, study it and sometimes put together a cogent set of thoughts about it.

Occasionally this compulsion to see and understand the world around me leads to listening to, or watching  events and people that  are negative, hateful, or destructive to the advancement of human understanding. If you’ve read many of the essays I’ve written on this blog, you know I can be pretty harsh towards those who seek only to restrict the advancement of a better culture- at least by my definition of a better culture. And admittedly, I can occasionally dip into the slog of negativity myself. In my own defense there is plenty out there to justify my occasional outrage. We have a government paralyzed by partisanship and petty rivalries. Racism and hatred seem to be getting worse instead of better as I had hoped back when I was in high school. Whole regions of the world are locked in bitter, religious wars and endless conflicts. And truth has now been replaced by dogmatic political and religious belief systems. I’m so discouraged that today’s political discussions lack the use of logic, of real knowledge, and of polite, respectful disagreement- like Father Ribble taught us in class and in the competitions we entered. But if you’re going to be a student of current events, you face the risk of exposure to all that negativity and disappointing behavior.

It is in my own self-interest to sometimes just step back from that for a short while. These dog days of summer seem a fitting time for such a planned retreat from the nonsense of politics and conflicts. After all, I have a great many things to be most thankful for and appreciative of in my life, that afford me a very positive outlook. I have a tremendous family. Again, those who have read these essays in the past might remember one called The Mothers in Our Family. I wrote about my good fortune to have my wife and my daughters provide such solid foundations for this family’s generations. I’ve written about my children (My Two Daughters) and described their lives as children, parents, spouses, and wonderful contributors to our community. They are all the best family I could have ever asked for. I’m also amazed nearly every day by the people I have the privilege to work around at Goodwill. I get to see amazing human stories played out before my eyes on a daily basis, and experience bravery and dedication not many people have the chance to experience in their everyday lives. That is pretty cool, and far removed from the rhetoric of fear and blame so many politicians wallow in, and seek to infect us with. I’m also fortunate to have some very good friends. I’m not one to collect tons of friends, but the ones I have care about me and are people I’m proud to know. So, I fully recognize that I have a wealth of positive influences and examples in my life that far outweigh the fools clogging up the airwaves and the halls of government. I just have to remember from time to time that they are my true treasure in life.

I also have reason to hope for a better tomorrow regarding the issues that are important to me. I know there are those who are content to remain distant from the issues of the day and adopt an attitude of non-involvement, even to the point of avoiding the slightest hint of conversation about controversial topics. I’m not one of those people. The old priest from high school insisted on knowledge and debate as a way to change minds an influence the world. For example, I could never be content to see brave people at Goodwill working hard against disability and disadvantage, without also caring about the public policies that directly impact their lives. So I will never stop speaking out whenever I can. I was on a business trip with some colleagues this week and conversation got around to the Zimmerman case and eventually to the broader topic of racism. One person asked, “what can we do about this problem, it is so entrenched in some people and some generations?” After some intelligent discussion we concluded that “talking” about these things is the only way to resolve them. What a delight to intelligent conversation with well-meaning people. But, we can’t be afraid of topics like race, religion, or politics and policy- even if they sometimes slide into negative territory. This is the only way to break barriers of communication that prevent us from moving forward.

But there are times when it’s good to back off, let the mind relax, and allow ourselves to recharge. I also have the good example in my wife to follow as we make our way through this summer. She is taking a well-earned sabbatical this summer. She is relaxed but highly focused on exploring some new avenues of thought and action in herself and her profession. As I watch her go through this very deliberate process I’m inspired to allow my own thoughts to seek a new path too. All the battles yet to be fought and the arguments yet to be made will all be there waiting. These long, hazy, warm days of summer can give us all a chance to allow better ideas and better thoughts to wash over us- if we only let them.

Thanks for looking in.