Thinking About 2022

Well, we are off and running now, and we’ve penned the final chapter of the year 2021. There is much to be said about the year we’ve just put behind us, but I am more concerned about the future. 

I’m not sure I can look back on these last 365 days with a clear and unbiased vision of the events of the year. I think only historians will be able to do that, as they sift through the reams of documents and memories in another 10 or 20 years from now.

As I see it, we stand at a crossroads in our nation’s history, one that is not much different than during the terrible strife our nation endured during the Civil Rights and Vietnam War protests. Those times cause me to take pause and look inward to determine who we are as a people, what we stand for, and what we truly believe in.

As Americans, we don’t have to look further than those wonderful documents which were penned by the founding fathers of our great nation. They have left us a legacy that has helped to shape the world and provided us a solid foundation from which we continue to afford our citizens with a blanket of liberty and freedom, which millions around the world aspire to duplicate.

We will choose in 2022 to either move forward into a future that provides hope for all, or to wallow in self-pity and take our nation down a different road. We can choose to turn our backs on the lessons we have learned over the 246 years since those great visionaries penned the Declaration of Independence. By signing that document, those 56 men demonstrated great courage and vision, while providing their everlasting place in history. Likewise, we can take great pride in the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. 

Unfortunately, we live in a time where we have the luxury of 20/20 hindsight, especially by those who choose to find fault or manipulate the narrative to their advantage. We also live in a time when the 24-hour news cycle has become a standard, and molds perception to meet required desires.

Today, I thought about how things have changed since I started working in earnest over 52 years ago. I thought about the changes in technology and the balance between making us more productive versus having us understand the value of our work and the relationships we create during our lifetimes.

In restaurants, I look over at the tables that surround me and see the impact of the digital age. Families look down at smart phones or other devices rather than at each other, missing an opportunity to share something together. I think about all of the missed opportunities they have.

We brag at how “connected” we are in this digital age, but fail to see the impact it is having on us and our ability to relate with one another, leading to a big disconnect with those who should share a special place in our lives. I don’t mention this because I am immune from such fault, but because I have been just as guilty. By choosing to admit it, I am making an effort to make that change in my own life.

At one time or another, I think we all reflect on those people who are gone that we would love to have another conversation with. I think of a friend of mine in Rockland, Maine who lost her dad earlier this year, and who would give anything to have just one more day with him so she could tell him how much she loved and missed him. 

Maybe if we took the time to reflect on how good we have it as Americans we might not be as prone to accepting the false narratives about changes that are promising an easier way forward. Many of those acquaintances I’ve met over the years have become successful, not because it was given to them, but because it was earned with hard work. Yes, there are an abundance of stories of people who have had an easier path to success, but the vast majority of men and women I’ve known have worked very hard to get where they are today. 

I’ve always enjoyed a quote from NBA star and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, who once said, “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” A little bit more of his philosophy could take us a long way in 2022.