It's time to reveal the most dangerous person in the United States. Are you ready?
Take a look in the mirror.
Get it? The most dangerous person in most of our lives is our own selves. Outside forces can cause problems but they won't have near the long term effects a couple of your bonehead decisions can make. How you react to circumstances beyond your control can have more to do with survival than the circumstances themselves.
Did you think I was typing about someone in particular?
I'm not sharing this greeting card philosophy for any particular reason. I haven't done anything stupid lately that I'm feeling the need to confess. I'm not trying to send a message to any person I may or may not know. I'm just hearing a lot of people blaming a lot of other people for things that probably aren't real and I think a reminder is necessary.
For most of us, the reason we're where we are--good, bad or indifferent--is because of that person in the mirror. Simple innocent decisions can have devastating effects. No one succeeds completely on their own but a lot fail miserably thanks to me, myself and I. Not because of who's in charge, not because of where we live, and definitely not because of those people.
For example, if you've bankrupted a dozen companies or more, it probably isn't because of a bad business climate or fickle customers or the cheap labor who clean your gold plated toilets. Most likely, it's because you suck at business.
I'm not singling anyone out here, I'm singling everyone out. The danger in the mirror is a universal human trait. That's probably not completely accurate since humans only exist on this particular planet and nowhere else in the universe as far as I know.
Does that explain why we can't get universal healthcare?
America lost two musical giants last week. Both took diverse elements of American music and created something unique in their own styles that inspired their contemporaries and the entire record buying public. Both reflected real and different parts of the American experience, but both shared a genius for making music that lifted the heart no matter the subject.
That meant something after a president had been assassinated and a war raged in southeast Asia and deadly riots tore through every major city across the country. Real riots, not these pretend ones you see today on Tic Toc.
Brian Wilson believed music was the voice of God. One listen to "God Only Knows" will make you understand. The music he made with the Beach Boys could take an east Kentucky kid to California surf any time of year. The melodic harmonies they put on record have never been equaled.
Sly Stone said "Don't hate the black, don't hate the white, if you get bit, just hate the bite." His distinctly urban style with Sly and the Family Stone was a unique mix of sounds from across the country reminding us we may be different, but we've got to live together.
With each one another and the ones in the mirrors.