I'm listening to a podcast as I stroll around the kitchen, taking care of the mundane tasks that are nonetheless necessary to keep a household running. I'm listening to an interview with a gentleman, about my age, who has spent much of his life traveling. He currently lives in Mexico with his wife and two children, and in this moment he has caused me to pause what I'm doing and pay closer attention. The Canadian man is talking with an American, and he is sharing his disappointment with what Americans have become. Essentially, they are agreeing that Americans are more concerned with safety and fairness than anything else. "Americans in general are fearful of everything," the Canadian states. We are not, in his words, the home of the brave. Ouch. I keep listening because, well, I'm not totally disagreeing with him.
The man continues by saying that the world is full of opportunity, and that in many countries people are embracing this fact. As he travels the world he sees people celebrating freedom, challenging standards, and taking risks in order to improve their lives. He does not, sadly, see this same energy in America where he believes we've become complacent. We're so concerned with safety because the media and others have convinced us that the world is a scary place and danger lurks around every corner. As a result, he says, we spend our energy seeking security even if it means leading a life we don't find the least bit fulfilling. He is, to say the least, entirely unimpressed with Americans.
I stop what I'm doing and find myself staring out the window. Two weeks prior to listening to this podcast, I am standing inside a large building at the Kennedy Space Center. Addie's only two words to me are, "Oh, wow." She doesn't shout them, she whispers the words like many of us do when encountering something that fills us with awe. I'm speechless. We are staring up at a one of the actual Saturn V rockets |
that were built to send Americans to the moon. It is hanging from the ceiling on its side, all 363 feet of it from end to end. The rocket weighs 6.2 million pounds, a number I cannot even fathom. Addie and I walk underneath it, staring up at the massive rocket without speaking a word. It is awesome.
My family and I spend the next 5 hours reading captions and watching videos of the men and women who worked together, defied odds, and took unbelievable risks to put a man on the moon and further explore the unknown reaches of our universe. I don't think it's possible to leave the Kennedy Space Center without being proud to be an American and in awe of the men and women who were at the forefront of space exploration.They were the ultimate risk takers.
Which leads us back to the podcast. We can't all be astronauts, but I wonder if Americans are slowly losing their willingness to take risks. We stay in jobs that we hate because they are "secure," we set aside dreams because the "timing" isn't right, and we use age, children, finances as reasons to not pursue something that is nagging at us. And, thanks to 24 hour media coverage, many of us live in fear of terrorists, diseases, sink holes, zombies and anything else headline news can convince us are just outside our door. So, thinking about my own life, my own decisions, I'm afraid the two individuals speaking in my ears are onto something.
My family and I spend the next 5 hours reading captions and watching videos of the men and women who worked together, defied odds, and took unbelievable risks to put a man on the moon and further explore the unknown reaches of our universe. I don't think it's possible to leave the Kennedy Space Center without being proud to be an American and in awe of the men and women who were at the forefront of space exploration.They were the ultimate risk takers.
Which leads us back to the podcast. We can't all be astronauts, but I wonder if Americans are slowly losing their willingness to take risks. We stay in jobs that we hate because they are "secure," we set aside dreams because the "timing" isn't right, and we use age, children, finances as reasons to not pursue something that is nagging at us. And, thanks to 24 hour media coverage, many of us live in fear of terrorists, diseases, sink holes, zombies and anything else headline news can convince us are just outside our door. So, thinking about my own life, my own decisions, I'm afraid the two individuals speaking in my ears are onto something.
It feels like it's a difficult time in history to be an American. We haven't had a lot to cheer about lately. And maybe many of us are surrounded by people who are unwilling to take even the slightest risk, to step even a little out of the "secure" world they're trying to create. Without heros or risk takers to observe, maybe we're all getting complacent and convinced that we don't have much control over our own lives.
Is there something you're putting off? Do you have that nagging feeling that you keep trying to push aside but keeps coming back? Maybe we're all in need in need of a little pep talk from a hamster (I like to watch this clip from Bolt when I need a boost) or a history lesson from Walter Cronkite and Neil Armstrong about who we are and what we are capable of both individually and as a nation. | |
I still believe that America is a great nation where goals and aspirations are in reach . . . if you're willing to take some risks. That's a big "if" for many these days. Is it time for you to take that risk? If so, and I can help, let me know. "I'll get my ball."