Let’s talk about it for a second

This seems to be a common question these days, doesn’t it?

But let’s dive deeper. Why are we all talking about the president? Sure, we’re interested in politics, because it deals with the future of our country. We also see the divisive political climate, and no matter what side of it we’re on, we want the future of our political party to be better for our children. I get that. All of that is pretty important.

But when are we going to talk about something closer to home? In my case, I know that there’s usually something just outside my front door that I can work on. I know you see it, too. You just don’t always see it as something that you need to solve. For instance, you might say, “I wish someone would fix that.”

Maybe we can do something about it. For instance, let’s seek a solution for the small issues we see every day. We might be able to do something immediately about a neighbor’s child who wears scruffy clothes. Could we offer to pass on some “hand me downs” that we have removed the tags from and washed before “handing them down”? (Wink, wink.) How about helping someone with a wish list item, or supporting a GoFundMe? (Shameless plug of my own pet project.)

Is your own spouse, parent, or child a little frazzled lately? Maybe we could do a sweet thing to thank our own family members for all their sacrificial service to us. Or maybe, we could provide that one thing they’ve been repeatedly asking for (or nagging us about). Or if that’s not appropriate or feasible, we could try to spend time with them doing something that is free and fun.

Or perhaps you’ve noticed the cashier who had a terrible day and obviously needs a kind word. Or the customer who has to put stuff back, maybe just $5 worth that you could pay for while saying, “People have blessed me in the past, so I’m paying it forward if that’s okay with you.”

We have so much in our lives that needs doing! How about we just clean our own rooms? Do we need to organize our paperwork, and get those files in order? Now, that’s really close to home for me, so I’m going to hush up now.

Make today better first

Instead of complaining about a political climate that we cannot change with mere complaining, we can stay informed and prepare to vote in a wise manner. Then, in the meantime, let’s find something practical to do in our own communities. This world can get better for someone. Let’s make that our immediate goal today.