Every once in a while each of us will experience a certain type of moment that will transcend our daily routine and give us a glimpse of a much bigger picture. Every once in a while we feel that bit of vertigo and dizziness that correspond to an epiphany with regard to man’s role in the universe.
It is not entirely random. When a loved one dies, or a baby is born, we have those moments. When we stand on a beach and look out at the ocean, gaze from the top of a mountain, or visit the Grand Canyon we are given a different perspective and a chance to view things in a new light.
In our regular lives we have to keep noses to the grindstone and we must focus on the details of the day. Our lives are filled with chores and schedules and deadlines and worries about a myriad of things that in the end do not make any difference at all. If we are not careful we will ignore the truly important and significant things in our lives in favor of the mundane but merely urgent.
When one considers the vast number of humans who have ever lived, it is a staggering thing. The United States was nonexistent four hundred years ago but Mesopotamia had organized societies 8000 years ago. People and civilizations have been living and thriving for many thousands of years. And yet, each of us gets 100 years or so to actually live on this planet. All of the great men and women who have come and gone are now…gone. Aristotle and Augustine and Charlemagne and Churchill and Reagan are gone.
We, the current occupants of this planet, are completely responsible for what happens. Granted, there are over 7 billion people now living, so we are a sizable number. But there are no heroes coming to save us. The problems faced by our world are serious and complex. From militant terrorists and poverty to medical, political, and economic crises, there is a lot on our plate. Humanity needs real leaders to deal with serious questions.
Sometimes in those moments of epiphany, those moments when one grasps the enormity of human history and then realizes that human history is but an insignificant blip in the history of the universe, we begin to see how fragile our existence is. We are but an infection on a little green planet three stones from Sol in a forgotten arm of the Milky Way.
Earth could be devastated by a stray comet or asteroid. It could happen tomorrow. We occasionally see the devastating power of Mother Nature in the form of earthquakes and floods and tornadoes, and yet we know that as bad as those are there are even more powerful forces. That super volcano under Yellowstone could erupt and change the face of our planet in a heartbeat.
Some things we can do nothing about. And other things, though we have some small role to play, are also out of our control. Plagues and wars and corruption have always been with us and probably always will. In addition to feeling insignificant in the scheme of things we now can add a feeling of helplessness at being unable to solve these problems.
And yet – in that moment when we grasp the enormity of the universe and the expanse of history and the scope of the problems – in that very same moment, if we listen, is a calming realization. By turning the situation and looking at it from a different perspective, there is reason for optimism.
When we look at the problems in our world – poverty, inequality, education – from the point of view of the entire globe and billions of people, it is difficult to imagine a solution. But we do not influence the entire world. Each of us influences one small corner of the world.
Each child is a new opportunity for humanity to remake itself. Every year a brand new crop of human babies begins their journey to understand and recreate the planet they were born onto to be a better place. It is an automatic renewal process. These new young people will grow up to make new gadgets that we cannot conceive of and solve problems we are not yet aware of.
If as a society we raise people of character and intelligence with a work ethic and positive outlook then we can effect massive change and improvement to society within a generation or two.
You were not placed on earth to change the direction of all of humanity. You were placed here on earth to influence one little part of it. Parents are the key to raising great kids to be responsible adults. We can make grand plans and throw money at institutions but in the end it comes down to parents coming to understand that raising their kids is the most important thing they will ever do.
To make a better society and a better world, we need to help parents. We need to make it easier for parents to do the right thing and open their kids backpack at the end of the school day. Parents need to spend time listening to their children and making sure their homework is done and that they have a good breakfast and brush their teeth.
Being a good parent is the toughest, most important job there is. Simply fathering a child is nothing – being a sperm donor requires no intelligence or character or work ethic. But being a good parent is something entirely different. It takes commitment and patience and character and flexibility and love.
The problems we have with poverty and education and wars and inequality and violence and unemployment can all be addressed by individual parents spending time raising competent, caring, hardworking people of character. As an added bonus, if all of society’s problems are not fixed, at least you will have happy, well-adjusted children who appreciate the time you spent with them.
Families have always been at the heart of human civilization. To say we need to support and strengthen the family has become something of a cliché or campaign slogan. And yet, that does not rob the idea of its truth. Families are not always the perfect Mom and Dad and 2.3 children that we picture in our perfect scenarios. Sometimes parents die or split or kids are adopted. A family is more than shared genetic matter. Families are parents raising kids. Good families have love and affection and character and commitment, regardless of how they are put together.
In that flash of intuition that comes from time to time we see the enormity of the universe and human history and the massive problems facing us as a society. But we also see the simple answer. We cannot deal with every problem but we can address the one that matters. We can live our own life as a person of character while raising a new generation to do the same. We can lead in our own communities with our example.
We are the only ones alive right now, so it is up to us. This is your family, your community, your state and country. Start at your own doorstep, with your own example, and make the world a better place. Talk to your kid about what happened at school today. Ask to see the notes in their backpack. After all, the world is counting on you.
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