Is the World Changing or is it Just me?

I’m changing. It’s not just so simple as a stand-up comedian would make it out to be poking fun at body parts or lamenting over lost youth. Although those familiar limericks do apply, my changes go much deeper than that. For instance, while on a recent trip to Orlando, Florida, two of my children and I drove up and down the Kirkman and International drive corridors looking for something fun to do. This area in Orlando is tourist trap central with all of the fun things you can possibly imaging for families. There are theme parks both large and small, video arcades by the dozen, indoor sky diving, air soft combat arenas and even indoor trampoline venues not to mention more places to shop than the Mall of America! So one by one we pass all of these family friendly pleasure palaces. My kids notice everything fun and want to “do” all of them. Most of which require much running around for hours with no rest in sight. Me? While driving and looking down the exact same roads, what do I see? Denny’s, Brazilian Steak houses, Black Angus steak restaurants, IHOP, All-you-can-eat pizzerias, Chinese food, Mexican food, Central American food! Everywhere I looked, I saw food, food and more food. Which begs the question, what in the world has happened to me? Maybe all the stand up comedians who taunt the not quite middle-aged are right.

 

Politically, I consider myself to be a conservative voter, both financially and socially. But lately, I have been seeing things a little differently. I’m not ready to jump ship by any means, but certain things are bugging me. I see the stock market making huge gains (which includes me because I have an IRA) but also see that it’s getting harder for people to get by on a small wage. I ask myself, would it really be so painful if dividends were down, but wages went up? I am also beginning to have intolerance for any political party who acts and votes and makes press releases condemning each other for doing what their constituents are paying them to do. As I get “older” and hopefully wiser, it is getting easier for me to see the tail wagging the dog. As soon as something big happens, I can almost immediately smell the stink of “spin” as it twists the real truth into whatever “truth” will gain the most money or votes. I read “The Animal Farm” by George Orwell in 1984 (kind of ironic, huh?). In that book I learned how politics can be slowly manipulated into a system that bends to the will of the craftiest who occupy the seats of authority.

 

There are many other ways that I am changing. These are just two. How have you changed recently? Write back and lets see.