Soap Box: …And that’s a wrap. The sad tale of 2008 needs a cheerful sequel

by Larry Schuster

December 12,2008

In motion-picture parlance, “that’s a wrap” declares the shooting is complete. As 2008 draws to a close, a sigh of relief most closely describes my reactions to this year. Thank goodness for 2009. No better elixir is a remedy for the hiccups of 2008 than a healthy dose of hope in the future.

Granted, many face daunting realities that include serious upheaval in their lives This is not a new phenomenon. Personal, governmental and commercial crisis will continue to interrupt the natural flow of life for the remainder of our days and those of our descendants, just as they have those of our ancestors. Our generation, more academically educated than any to proceed us, falters in the basic lessons of life. Although benevolent goals fueled by an excess of free time and wealth abound throughout society, we ignore many laws of life in order to achieve them.

An example is the relationship between diligence and good grades. My sons, both college students, are the typical spoiled children of baby boomers. Actually, I am quite proud of each of them. Polite and well-respected, both struggle with this concept:

Hard work + time + more hard work = a passing grade (particularly in the braniac classes)

Part of it is not their fault. They are the product of parents who do understand the concept well, are workaholics (at least my wife is) and have been sweetly blessed. From their point of view, life appears as simple as shopping for the item of interest and plucking it from a shelf. They overlook the heartache, blood, sweat and tears that cultivated an ability to purchase that item. The end result is a struggle for parents, such as my wife and I, to encourage our children to persist and redouble their efforts in the pursuit of their goals.

Society is no different. Many of us-but not all-occupy our station in life not because of the lot that life has cast us in but by the consequence of our own choices. Because the tangibles of life are not only abundant but also relatively easy to access, we believe them to belong to us as a right rather than a commercial exchange of assets between willing parties. Undoubtedly, we all agree that man’s fundamental needs are food, shelter and safety. Above these basic needs rises self actualization, which separates us from the rest of the critters that roam the earth.

In a sophisticated society the question arises: who is responsible for basic needs? Absent of such a society, folks who live off the land do not debate this question. They know if they do not hunt, plant and gather the consequences of their choices are simple and clear.

With the interjection of morality, duty calls many to pursue the alleviation of life’s hard consequences. No well-wishing person delights in the suffering of another. Care must be taken, though to not rob those who tug at our heart strings the opportunity to grow and learn from their choices. In the close confines of urban living, although some lives are invisible, the lives of many who struggle are visible, and our American tendency is to lend a hand.

As another year draws to an end, please be generous.

However, generosity only exists on a personal level. It is not a characteristic of government. It demands a living, beating heart accompanied by free will. It is not the result of “paying more taxes to be patriotic.” Governmental benevolence relies on taxation.

Taxes paying for the bricks and mortar of an orderly society are well-used.

Taxes used to redistribute the fruit of our labor to those who sat in the shade do not cultivate generosity; it breeds resentment and distrust. They rob us of the quiet bounty afforded a generous heart, which personally distributes its own first fruits as it sees fit.

In 2009, draw on the widespread desire for change, not what you can get out of the other guy but rather the change embodied in the American ideal possessed in the free “pursuit of happiness”.