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OpinionSUNDAY NIGHT:I can feel it, sense it, canít put my finger on it thoughSunday Night by MaryHelen Swanson, editor Then from the morning of Sept. 11 on, for a number of weeks, anyway, there was a newfound love of country, neighbor and self. And then it began to slip away. And as it continued to ebb, people were fidgety and anxious, not seeming to know how to behave. By Christmas, the remnants of patriotism and our newfound camaraderie were fading fast, even if our holiday decorations and gifts came in red, white and blue. A few more people might have attended church, but probably not, because thatís usually when non-practicing folk find their way to the pews anyway. The new year approached, arrived and was here. Even the excitement over this usually grand celebration was mellow. But then, it wasnít Y2k. Since then Iíve seen something very ugly surfacing, like a fungus poking slowly up out of the matted leaves on an unraked lawn after the spring melt. And itís growing. Why do I feel this way? Itís the groggy attitudes of people everywhere you go. Itís the lack of enthusiasm in our greetings, in our work. Itís the poor service we get in stores and restaurants. Itís on the news. Itís the ìso what, who caresî attitudes of people young and old. Itís in the sheriffís report that is filled with senseless acts of destruction and childish behavior. For example, last week windows were smashed on a vehicle while its owner fished on Green Lake, small change and an amplifier were taken. Someone pilfered another snowboard at the recreational area, mini-storage facilities were broken into, a laptop computer was missing in a school, and someone helped themselves to belongings in a fish house, make that more than one. In Wyoming Township, someone had wheels and tires stolen from a truck, pranksters pulled a gazebo onto a lake, a cell phone was stolen from a car in Harris, make that more than one, also. Well, it goes on, lap tops, TVs, VCRs, tools, snowboards, cell phones. Apparently there arenít enough of these relatively insignificant items to go around. Never mind that we are at war, yes, we really are, and that our military men and women are in strange, dangerous countries defending our freedoms and privileged way of life. For weíve found a new numbness that is tearing away at the passions of our hearts, and no one seems to care. Perhaps itís merely cabin fever and it will be cured with the warmth of springtime. Perhaps not. Perhaps our young people need more to do. Perhaps they need their parents. Perhaps their parents need them. Perhaps we need something wonderful to look forward to, or back on. Perhaps we all just need a good kick in the pants. Heaven knows, what we could get is another terrible tragedy and once again, we would not be ready for it, no matter how many billions our country spends on security. ©ECM Post Review |