Ramblings about the Middle, Moderation & Compromise

I have not blogged in quite some time. I am going to indulge a bit. Since I can remember I have been opinionated and passionate about things in life not being black or white- about allowing other people to have an opinion different than mine and trying to reach a middle ground. It is about listening to others, valuing their opinion and reaching compromise. I am not someone that takes a lot of risks. I like to think that I am open minded about things and not very judgmental. Moderation for me is the key. I take what might be considered a wait and see attitude, thinking that this too shall pass. In the educational realm, I think that there are things that can always be improved upon just like in business or government and society in general.

One of the reasons that I like President Obama is because he speaks to me and others in a way that gives each of us our dignity. He is not always going to be right on everything. I respect a person that respects others and lives by that. We can agree to disagree.

As I listen this summer to the news of the world, I am sad. There are so many injustices happening. There are so many people that are suffering needlessly. I wish that others in positions of power could remember that there are basic human dignities and that our time here is short and decisions need to be made to make our modern society a place of peace and happiness for all.

I truly believe that there are some things that are basic to a good society and that ultimately we could live together on this planet if only we could reach compromise with each other. Basic needs such as an affordable place to live, healthy food for sustenance, affordable health care (both preventative and for illness), education for all and a job that allows you to pay the bills are reasonable things to expect from a modern society. The question of how can we afford this certainly needs to be addressed. My question is how can we NOT afford this? I do not want my child or yours, my family or yours, my neighbors or yours to be hungry, uneducated, sick or suffering. This gets me back to the middle ground. We live in a world of stark contrasts and startling excesses. If we could begin to speak with each other about what is really important in life then perhaps we could reach a middle ground and afford what really matters.

What we value says a lot about us. We need to get rid of the "red tape" and the hoops that people have to jump through in order to get their needs met. Starting with pregnant mothers I would want them to have ready access to prenatal health care, emotional support and healthy food. Once the child has been born, the family needs to be given the means to nurture and develop a positive relationship. All children need safe and decent schools that educate them to become caring and productive members of our society no matter their talents. Our older citizens need to be respected and taken care of and not be forgotten. The earth, the air, the water, the other inhabitants of the planet need to be taken care of with the same passion as our families. We have been doing some of this for a long time. Some places and people are doing a better job of this than others. I hope that we can work together, compromise, reach a middle ground... :) and do what is right for the world.