Walking the Walk versus Talking the Talk:

It is much easier to talk the talk than walk the
walk. It is always easier to criticize and kibbitz than it is to take action and do what is right. The thought
has long been a pet peeve, but this year truly brought the thought home. One November eleventh of this
year, our nation was “celebrating” Veterans Day, or Armistice Day, a far more meaningful name. Blustery
politicans perform their dutiful pantomime and recite long memorized homilies of patriotism and appreciation.
Businesses have their obligatory Veteran’s Day sale, trying mightily to reinforce the tenuous lie that saving
mega bucks on that large screen HD television is a meaningful way to memorialize the war dead. Everyone
went to bed happy that night because they spent one 24 hour period paying lip service to compassion and
memorializing those that gave their lives. But, on December 2, a short article was published stating that
veteran suicide rates have risen dramatically in the years since the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters opened. Yet, the article clearly missed the opportunity window. None of the politicians who had so eagerly jumped on the
patriotism bandwagon a few days before were around to press the issue. The general public had shifted their
short term attention to the Thanskgiving Day sales. That is just one example.
This lack of commitment to what is real and full throated commitment to what makes the individual
feel good and look good is not new, it has permeated society for ever. Ever since religion placed emphasis on
good work, the human mind has twisted that bit of altruism into a badge of vanity. Thanksgiving became
about pre-Christmas sales and gluttony. Christmas became about living beyond your means and showing off.
Charity giving became about star filled mega-concerts and black tie dinners. The idea of doing right by doing
right is too obscure and simple, it fell out of favor.
It is time for the obscure to rise up and be observed. Time to walk the walk. Doing what is right
is better than proslytizing and self-promotion. Quiet is better than loud. Doing is better than talking about
doing. Just a thought.