Life

My home state is on fire. Colorado is burning, homes reduced to ash, the sky filled with gray stinging smoke. People are looting burned out homes. Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes, due to these infernos, some of which may have been intentionally set. My family and I haven't been directly effected other than not being able to go outside at times due to the smoke. Politicians have started their latest round of attacks on each other. It seems like I am the one they are attacking at times. They certainly spend more time appeasing single issue voters and fighting each other than they do taking care of the country. The healthcare system, my livelihood remains in flux. The world around us, our neighbors and distant countries suffer in violence and hate. Innocent people in this country go without, or worse, are forced into needless suffering by those in a position to help. Today we celebrate the independence of this great country. The greatest liberties known in the history of mankind are held close to our hearts here. But I feel we are not finished with OUR work. Rather than a masterpiece to be held in highest esteem however, our grand republic is simply a work in progress. WE are not done with the work started centuries ago. There are problems. They punch us in the face nearly every day, challenging us to step up and do something. But I am just a simple, middle-aged family man. Smart but not brilliant; relatively fit but fat and tired. My obligations are so consuming, yet so seemingly trivial. But I can do something to keep MY amazing country on the tracks laid by our fore-fathers. Maybe you can too. Whatever you do, do it well. Keep your interactions with others positive. Perhaps if our leaders and we followed one simple but profound piece of advice, we wouldn't have to work (fight) so hard to keep this country between the gutters. Granted we won't find a cure for cancer or build great industry by following this mantra, but I am convinced these and others will come easier if we all simply lived and worked by first Do(ing) No Harm.