Changes

I appreciate change and different things. And I am not talking about some lip service way of saying I like change but then only hanging out with people who look, think, and act like me. Those who only say they like diversity when it is really because they are a part of some minority (and I am not just talking race but using the term to also describe groups that are not a part of mainstream thought or action) group. I have a friend on Facebook who is incredibly liberal. There is nothing wrong with that, yet she claims to be open and accepting but she will not allow any room for dissenting thought or opinion on her Facebook groups. I am also a part of a Conservative Christian Facebook group where I have seen, time and again, the group turn on one of the most active and very conservative members just because he/she may disagree or have a different way of looking at things in one, very small, area of opinion. I can handle both of these things just because I do understand largely how the world works and when it is more than I appreciate, I just leave the discussion.

I am learning, however, that situational changes, I might not appreciate as much. At least not while I am going through them. My wife and I just found out she is pregnant. Now, we already have a son but he is not biologically mine. He is my son because I have helped raise him and I love him because he is my own but he has always been there. This is different. This is a change that was created and, even though I have been a father for some time now and I cannot express how happy I am that we are having a child, I am scared. 

I am also used to adversity. I was raised on it, fought through it, and overcame it...or so I thought. My wife lost her job last month. We got behind on the truck payment and they came and got it. Now, we are going to be able to get it back but just going through the whole process has been more than I care for. (As an aside, she got a better job with better pay which is why we will be okay)

Then, I look at our world. Living in the United States of America is an honor and a privilege. It is also becoming increasingly divided and dangerous...at least so it seems. I, for the most part, still like to believe in the goodness of most people and think that, by and large, most people, even those who hold different values and beliefs, are actually extraordinarily similar. I was an Army brat growing up so I lived in Germany for three years. I have also been to Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica. I have family from Texas, Indiana, and Missouri. In all my travels I have always noticed how most people just want what is best for their families and are trying to make their way through life the best they can. They operate from their world view but it is ultimately chasing the same dreams most people have.

An older generation may just say such is life but it does seem to me that the world is changing faster. People are becoming less patient and loving and these two things are probably related. If I, a person who has decent life and world experience and who has fought and struggled to get where he is in life is wondering and confused and worried about things, how can those who have a limited amount of experience or training or conditioning be expected to traverse the waters of life without lashing out. It is natural for people to lash out when unsure. But I have also found it to be highly unproductive or useful. I am not sure what needs to be done in order to right the ship so to speak but I do know something must be done.

So what about you? What worries do you have? What things are weighing on your mind? I do know that I feel better when I express my worries and fears, even if I have done nothing else.