I know this may be last thing you want to talk about, but like it or not, the election is a hot topic in the media right now. Don’t fret though, I don’t have much to say. What I do have to say though I really want you to digest, whoever you are. So, let’s just jump right in, shall we?
Trump and Hilary are about as different as Daphne and Velma from Scooby-Doo, but they do have at least one thing in common and that is that they both are very human. Surprise, surprise right? Right. I analyzed that from them not just because they look human but more importantly, they act it. One thing we know all humans have in common is that we are imperfect, and we all make mistakes. With that knowledge, it is fair to say that both of them have their pro’s and con’s. They both have experience in completely different areas and have some possible positive things to bring to the table. They both also made a fool of themselves at one point or another, during the election process. There was a joke going around Facebook that said that Hilary and Trump were the parents fighting a custody battle over the kids (us), and we just wanted to go back to our grandparents. I thought throwing in a little humor in there would be nice.
However, this is not a piece for me to talk about everything they did wrong, or even my personal views at all. Heck, this article isn’t even about who ran for the presidency. It is about who supported them. Let me share some truth with you: My opinion may not mean much to you, if anything at all, but listen to me when I say that what’s done is done. There is no turning back, and unfortunately, no matter how much you protest, pray, and grumble to other people, nothing can undo the history that has been made. More importantly, the violence has got to stop. This message goes out to everybody, but particularly, my very radical and amazing generation.
Guys, we are an awesome generation. There is no doubt about it. We are accepting, we love music, we are creative and intuitive, and we are also young and dumb. I say that because none of us (us being the youth, anywhere from twelve to twenty-two, give or take of course) have lived for more than three decades. We can read history books all day long, but we truly do not know what kind of a world we came into. However, we do know that we can make a difference when we leave this world for the next generations to come to step in. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the difference we made was for a positive change? Do we not realize that the overall attitude of the young people in this country is only going to make the problem grow? I understand you are upset. I am not 100% satisfied either, but creating chaos, and expecting failure out of our leaders will ONLY ever lead to exactly what you fear, failure.
Taking a step back to earlier when I mentioned the word history. The other day I was studying with a friend, and we were talking about the youth during the sixties. Throughout every nation, the young people were uprising in angst. They wanted change. They wanted peace. They wanted better pay. They wanted better education systems. They wanted equality. They wanted better leadership. They were not content with the government. Does any of this sound familiar to you? It should. I think that all of those above statements about how those young people felt can very easily describe how a lot of us feel today. Something even more interesting is that those same radical teenagers and young adults in the sixties are now one of many generations that we look up to, and may even be upset with right now.
The fact of the matter is, we are them now. We have stepped in the shoes they once wore. If you think about it, all of us live a very similar life. We are born. We are dependent. We then strive for independence. We struggle to find our way. We take the world head on and we want change. We want peace, equality, and money. We, eventually, get the hang of things. We go on to have our own family, and then, begin to watch the generations after us try to figure things out. We are all basically a hamster on a hamster wheel, in a way. Everyone is just trying to make it. Heck, half of us are just trying to make it through finals, forget the rest of our lives. With that being said, wouldn’t it be cool if we all just worried about ourselves? Wouldn’t it be awesome if instead of tearing each other down, we built each other up? Wouldn’t it be nice if we prayed for our leaders instead of criticize and complain? Wouldn’t all of that be neat?
One simple action from one simple person can seem meaningless, but one person can turn into two, which can turn into twenty, which can turn into fifty, which can turn into one hundred, and then one thousand. It all starts with one. You could be that one. Then, once we work together, that one simple action becomes very meaningful. I challenge you, in the weeks to come, to take a knee and pray for our country. I challenge you to be the lit candle in a world full of ones who are burnt out. Be kind. Be respectful. Be gracious. Never give up on your values but be accepting of others.