This Is Still My Great Grandfather's United States Of America

How often do you come across an ancient as dirt quote and realize the author had shattered the rules of time entering the space of modern reality? Mark Twain wasn't just a brilliant writer but the owner of a solid leadership strong enough to stand never on the correction of his word shapes but to paint for a later date conversations based on an act of accepted behavior. With both the Republican and Democratic Conventions of 2012 minutes from our unknowing touch; the empowerment of Saint Charan Singh reaches between the digital sheets of paper provided by Windows Word 2007 and heralds a firm but genuine commitment, "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." If this was Face Book or Twitter the normal technique of release would be to hit a reader between the eyes allowing assumption be the followers guide. I would disappear and you would be stuck holding brain junk. Not to have, to hold, til death do us part. We've developed no need to succeed as leaders and if you do have a voice both internet outlets are blessed with the depressed. The Great Depression of 2012 isn't the economy but it's our mental state of being. "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." Pope John Paul strengthens the statement, "Man's truest obligation is to keep his balance." Balance is the first thing you learn as a Martial Artist. In some schools harnessing control of a proper front stance is but the only path to follow. Very few realize such the vision of a man and or woman with their leg shot out in front of them bent at the knee to hide the toes with the opposite leg being completely straight and behind them is the act of making a firm foundation. A method not invented by man but developed by the cow. How does one steal from the balance found on a matted floor and place it firmly into a life that's been challenged, changed, choreographed and completely out of tune with the humans need to be accepted? The Chinese Proverb firmly states, "The gem cannot be polished without friction." Albert Einstein taught, "Try not to become a man or woman of success but rather to become a man or woman of value." My wife reminded me this morning of the distances traveled on a journey called Arroe, "People disconnect when they stop to realize you aren't sixteen going on twenty five but fifty. Being a 33 year veteran of the Broadcast industry makes you invaluable inside a business consumed by too many chiefs and not enough true leaders. For you to be part of a plan makes them think you're interests are to replace them rather than see you for who you are and that's somebody that's been overtaken by a passion not for what you've accomplished but what you teach...the art of belief." Outside of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Brian Williams on NBC, the extremely vocal man of the cloth and every one sided newspaper outlet fed funds to represent the best interests of their community; who's teaching you how to overcome the second worst economic crisis in American history? Who's teaching families to better prepare for harder times knowing if Romney did win the natural progression of change takes years of preparation and execution? "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." Show me the politician that 18th Century French Philosopher Charles de Montesquieu talks of when saying, "To become truly great, one has to stand with the people, not above them." If Billy Graham hadn't been chosen by a higher decision maker to lead decades of believers to their promised land; would he have become this nation's Greatest leader? Notice I said, "Promised land." For this country to become strong we need you. For this nation to lead less money has to be spent on the unwilling. No President can fix America. The people have to stand united to un-break the states. We've stopped being responsible for ourselves and allowed others to take care of our personal worlds. Then complain when those now in charge want something back. The soils that make up the fifty most incredible states on the face of this planet were "Promised" to us by family members, friends, coworkers and people we'll never know. They fought wars on foreign shores. They paid taxes that built as well as mended highways capable of carrying American dreams to newer places to grow. They stood up for what they believed knowing their promised land would be available for generations far beyond their best step forward. As hard as I work every day deep into the weekends... I cannot physically make a promise to my stepdaughters children that America will be here for their children. "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." The Appalachian Mountains of the east coast are looked upon as being ancient, torn up but not silenced by constant winds some reaching 100mph, bitterly cold weather patterns lash out against them before each spring only to be baked by the heat of a summer's day...yet they don't melt. The Appalachians continue to lead. They seek not the aid of other mountain ranges assumed stronger. The Rockies have their own story to share. The Cascades may fade in fog but it's never for long. For purple mountains majesty... Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it's the courage to continue that counts." "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." Too many times I've heard normal people share where they stood the day the Twin Towers came down. The majority of the time their best explanation is, "It felt like I was watching a movie. I had to keep telling myself how real it was." If you don't believe in this quote "You are responsible for yourself. You are not responsible for the world." Is it wrong to ask when will another Hollywood like reality make this nation no more? Ross Perot said, "Most people give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from winning the touchdown." How close are we to defeat? arroe@arroe.net