The tragedy of a wasted life.
Lack of purpose, vision, and sight.
When getting what you want today hinders your tomorrow.
They don't believe a world focused on pleasure can lead to sorrow.
Convenience overshadows sacrifice.
Everyone comes at a price.
Nihilism exalted.
Faith halted.
Courage seems risky, but the alternative is more of the same.
Not looking for responsibility, only those to blame.
I don't fear the afterlife.
I dread a wasted life.
It gets dark early this time of year.
The crunch of the fallen leaves is what I hear.
Long nights trying to come to terms with what my life has become.
Caught between where I am and where I am from.
Ever feel stuck, unable to move?
Desiring change because you have something to prove.
Twinkling stars highlight the vast emptiness.
The moonlight produces a single shadow and reveals my aloneness.
It gets dark early this time of year.
1) This is a cultural issue, and policy can do very little to assuage the birth decline. We have the technology (birth control) now and have had it for over half a century to prevent births. The genie is out of the bottle. I don't see us going backwards technology-wise.
There is an increasing cultural view that marriage and kids are a heavy burden and not worth the investment. It's becoming less rare to hear about the positives of parenthood. That is something we CAN tackle as a society, but it will be a big endeavor. It involves a candid discussion on a very sensitive topic. As an American, I can say we are not very good at that. I will note this is a worldwide issue (very few regions are seeing an increase in birth rates).
2) As a believer, it also got me thinking about what the Church can do about this issue. I think the Church can do a better job supporting marriage and parents. We need to emphasize the importance of marriage and family. One thing Mr. Shaw mentioned is that we are going to see an increase in older, childless people. We need to think in advance about how we can support them and what potential needs they might have.
Was I not ambitious enough?
Perhaps I gave up too easily when the tides turned rough.
Maybe I am not made out of the right stuff.
Or could it be I didn't learn how to bluff.
Why do my dreams always stay dreams?
Always swimming upwards on a downstream.
Do I esteem myself higher than I ought?
Ego, it is simply not.
Or does my walk lack boldness?
It looks like my confidence has been stolen.
While striving for something more might prove pointless;
It's the only thing that will keep me from drawing my last breath hopeless.
A good example of this is in our school system. Prayer is forbidden but secular humanism is not a problem to teach students. It's a belief system just like Christianity, Judaism, Islam and any another religion but because our society views the irreligious as neutral, it's not an issue.
Another place where this is seen is in the abortion debate. Many pro-choicers seem to think they have the reasoned argument simply because they make specious secular arguments and pro-lifers sometimes use religious arguments (although they fail to recognize not every pro-lifer is religious). They think because they're secular it means they're "neutral", never mind their secularism has a belief system that isn't neutral.
Secularism isn't neutral. It's a value system. It's a system of ethics. Secularism has a set of beliefs. Its adherents can be zealous. Let's stop treating secularism as neutral.
This autumn it will be two years since I've moved to Alabama from Texas. It's been fun exploring a state I had no previous experience with. I have discovered a very green state with some nice landscapes with mountains, waterfalls, covered bridges, caves, and beaches. I thought I would share some hiking spots and some other worthwhile places (including some places I intend to visit). Lawnstarter.com recently aggregated a list of the best hiking cities in the country, and Huntsville was the first Southeast city (outside of Florida) on it.
Hiking
There is something appealing about being lost, isolated and disconnected. I have been watching a lot of #Vanlfe videos on YouTube. They have no daily agenda, get to travel where they want, experiences places where they don't know a single person. I can see how this can life can be enticing. No direction! You have no idea what tomorrow brings!
Unsurprisingly, #Vanlife became extremely popular during isolating times, the COVID pandemic. Even with all the amazing scenery, these #Vanlifers also seem to be the most unhappy, anxious people! They lament not having a stable community because of the constant moving around. Those "views" can't replace being grounded and community.
This also makes me think of social media, which is supposed to connect us and help us build online "communities". It does the opposite. It provides a false sense of community that often leaves us isolated and disconnected.
I see a lost and directionless society. I see an unhappy society filled with anxiety and distrust. We were sold that being lost and directionless is a way to pave our own way. But we need meaning, purpose, and community. We need God. We need family, friends, and others. There's a reason why our ancestors went from directionless nomads to building communities/cities to settle down in. We all need roots.
For some reason, I keep a running list of wedding songs. Here is my list (feel free to comment on a song you think should be added):
As we all know that music has a way of taking you back in time. Reminds you of what you were going through when you were listening to that song and how it spoke to you.
I have two songs that I believe will forever remind me of the pandemic.
1) Jeremy Camp - Keep Me in the Moment - This video came out the week of the lockdowns. It is about time, slowing down, and appreciating loved ones. The lockdowns really did slow down everything. Made me realize how important relationships are!
I’ve been thinking ‘bout time And where does it go How can I stop my life from passing me by I don’t know I’ve been thinking ‘bout family and how it’s going so fast Will I wake up one morning just wishing that I could go back I’ve been thinking ‘bout lately maybe I can make a change and let You change me So, with all of my heart this is my prayer Singing Oh Lord keep me in the moment Help me live with my eyes wide open ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what You have for me Singing Oh Lord show me what matters Throw away what I’m chasing after ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what You have for me Keep me in the moment Keep me in the moment Keep me in the moment ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what You have for me When I wake up in the morning Lord, search my heart Don’t let me stray, I just wanna stay where You are All I got is one shot, one try One go around in this beautiful life Nothing is wasted when everything’s placed in Your hands I’ve been thinking about heaven And the promise You hold So, it’s all eyes on You until the day You call me home
I listened to two great conversations this week.
First, Glenn Loury, John McWhorter, and Jason Riley discuss Thomas Sowell's writing. Great intellectual conversation.
The second was Daily Wire Backstage, where the folks of Daily Wire pontificated on current events.
Whatever you think of the politics of any of the individuals engaging in these discussions, it is hard to deny these are some pretty high-minded, intellectual conversations. No talking points. No superficiality.
I found myself wondering: Where are these types of discussions on the American Left? All the people featured in the above videos are right-leaning (some more so than others). I'm not trying name-call or anything. I know there are some serious intellectuals on the Left. I just don't see them in conversations like this.
