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We pretended...

We know things weren't as good as we pretended them to be. If they were, then Donald Trump wouldn't have won because he campaigned to Make America Great Again, which meant you had to agree America wasn't great. If America was good now, then Bernie Sanders wouldn't have gotten so far in the Democratic primary proposing sweeping changes of our society and how if functions.
Many just want to go back to normal, before the pandemic, but things were not great, and only good on the surface. If we had some deep roots and solid foundations, we would not be hurting so soon in our economy and our society.
So this virus exposed the fake smile most of us have been wearing. Our fears and our angers are being let out (often misdirected in my opinion) and we are trying to stuff them back in so we can pretend that things were good, otherwise we would have to change our lives and perspectives too, not just them.
Some want to go back to the good ol' days and some want to fast forward into the future. I asked two nights ago what is our center? What is the foundation that would help us not just get through this pandemic, but while maybe not making us great, would help all of us smile a little more genuinely and a lot more often? It isn't going to be wealth (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). It isn't going to be patriotism (you aren't a real American because...). It could be God (as long as you remove denomination, Bible preference, and the belief that God only/always agrees with us).
I think it has to start with respect. Not the if you respect me, agree with me, satisfy me, THEN I will respect you. But seeing and treating every person with a little kindness, a lot of compassion, knowing that we will never see eye to eye on many things and the goal isn't to get them to agree with us, and having enough humbleness to know that we might be wrong.
We are way too busy fighting and screaming at each other, listening only to figure out how to prove them wrong, and dismissing them because of way too many reasons.
We are capable of doing better. We are capable of creating and having a better society and world. We just have to let go that our side always has the best plan or idea. BUT, we do have to believe that every person has worth, is important, and loved.
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Location: Aberdeen, SD 57401, USA

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