Procrastadabbler

Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Although his broadside was addressing the issue of revolting against British rule, his words resonate in respect to our current economic condition.

What does it mean to provide service to one’s country. Military service is obviously what Paine meant, but yet I believe that service to one’s country also includes living a life that is sustainable and respectful of the needs of others. It is using resources appropriately. Spreading the wealth is not a socialist idea, it is a humanistic idea. Is it right for any one person to spend $150,000 on clothes when that much could be used to help families live in safe housing? Is it right to spend millions of dollars on advertisments to become elected when that much could be used to feed and educate children living in poverty or heat the homes of the elderly?

Where are our priorities as a nation?

We have been living under the tyranny of greed. We have been seeking to grow our material wealth and have lost sight of the finite resources available to us. We have lost sight of growing our intellectual and moral wealth.

We are paying for it now.

In that same excerpt Paine writes, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

We have obtained our wealth and our position too cheaply. But rather than seeing it as dear, I’m beginning to see it as pyrite. The real wealth is in our abilities to maintain our humanity and compassion and to reorder our priorities.

That is what I’m hoping will come out of this chaos.