Hoping for more caring and sharing

Comedian George Carlin made us laugh by stating obvious life ironies. “Why do we park our cars in a driveway and drive our cars on a parkway?” Through words he made us laugh at ourselves; a unique talent.

Before he died he made a more serious observation; not so funny in reality:

“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.”

Have you ever sat back and wondered just where is this all going to end?

After our fling with consumerism and materialism I hope we can figure out how to stop the insanity of wars and settle on a global view of caring and sharing of our First World abundance.

I sit back and think of a John Lennon lyric — “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day…”

Robert Rickey Medicine Hat