I See

What we see vs. what we've not yet seen ...

We've all heard the wise 6th grader lecturing her friend on love or speaking confidently about solving relationship problems. We smile, knowing that such an early summation of things will likely be short of enough, and 'the rest of the story' may change everything.


We understand because now, we know the answers. We're old and wise, so we needn't be open to additional information, to a different point of view...  good grief, we sound like sixth graders.  Especially in Congress.

Public approval has averaged below 20% in each of the last four years, and in five

of the last six. Before this time, only in 1979 and 1992 did congressional approval

average less than 20% annually. Thus, 2013 extends an unprecedented period in

which Americans have given their elected representatives in Congress continually

poor marks for their job performance.

Congress' average approval this year has not only been the worst

 in Gallup history, but it also included the single lowest monthly 

approval rating of 9% in November.

Where does such narrow-minded resistance originate?  Right-wing conservatism?  Left-wing liberalism?  Learning lethargy?  ... but I repeat myself.

It's easy to blame Congress, but the origins of our problems are in the constituency, of course.  That's us.

Is there perhaps a higher goal for our wondrous productivity, our broadly tolerant culture, and our capacity for serving others ... ?

The most difficult of personal tasks, perhaps, is recognizing our own contribution to the problem.  It's easy to blame congress or liberals or conservatives or whatever.  Our own point might benefit from a critical review.  It was the confident, strongly opinionated among us who said the economy would collapse without slavery.