Why It Matters

It’s been two days since we here in the States have had the answer to the question about which man would be our President for the next four years.

I’m sure each of you have your own questions, disappointments, joys or feelings of some other kind about the results of our national, state and local elections. I know I do.

A friend in England posed one question to me: Why did Bush get re-elected? Apparently there was a poll done in the U.K. that asked citizens of almost every nation (except the U.S.A.) who they thought should be elected here in America. The result was unanimous: John Kerry. So why are our results so diametrically opposed to the rest of the world?

First of all, there hasn’t been a closer election since the beginning of the last century. It’s not like Bush won by a landslide. Not even close. So perhaps Americans as a whole are not so much different than the rest of the planet.

Whether you wanted him defeated a second time or back in office, we are all now faced with the same question: What going to happen now in my life, the life of my family, my career, my plans for retirement, or to the care I’m currently receiving as a retiree? These are all valid questions and ones that are worth exploring, because the answer depends less on George W. Bush, the Republican Party and big business interests and more on us.

Our country is far worse off in many ways than it was in 2000. There are a number of reasons for this that are far too familiar to all of us. What is better is the amount of involvement Americans now have with the political system and locally in our own communities. It would appear that the events of the last four years have caused a good number of people to take more responsibility for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. This is a good thing.

Personally, I’m confident that people can take responsibility for their lives without the disastrous events we’ve seen in the recent past. But, history being what it is, we now have the daunting task before us to continue to place the good of planet and our global community at an even higher level. By thinking globally and acting locally, we can affect change in our own neighborhoods, towns and cities. Changing even one small part of the collective group consciousness of the planet is worth it. I’m willing to continue doing my part. Will you continue to do yours, or join in doing so on an even more conscious level?

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Dr. Terry