Smelling The Roses

Last night I read an article "How America Can Rise Again" by James Fallows in The Atlantic. After spending three years in China, Fallows returns to America, astounded by the differences in everyday life between the two countries. He compares the general wealth and cleanliness of America and the many things we often take for granted. The funny thing is, we're in the middle of a recession (or, technically just coming out of one).

I had a similar experience two summers ago in returning from Egypt. I was only there for six weeks, but I immediately began to realize upon my return to the States how much I had taken for granted in the twenty years leading up to this point. For those who have never been outside the country to see other lands and cultures, I kind of like to compare it to someone who was born on an deserted island and never has never left. You don't really know what else is out there unless you just go see for yourself. It's just that our island is a really big one.

Reading this article got me thinking...maybe this recession is somewhat of a blessing in disguise. I completely understand that a lot of people are going through rough times right now and struggling to get by. And I hope that those who are unemployed or can't put food on the table for their kids will soon find comfort in their everyday lives. But, when the market crashed and things turned for the worse, many others finally smelt those roses as the "sure bet" investments they had came crashing down upon them. They finally realized what its like to not be able to live such extravagant and unyielding lifestyles. Maybe this recession will remind those who never did before of the fact that a good chunk of the world's population would give everything they had for just a day in our shoes. If you've never experienced this feeling first hand, I highly encourage it. It is almost a certainty that you'll return to the daily grind and begin to see what used to seem so normal in quite an astonishingly different way.

I think that a little self reflection and assessment is a really good thing. Sometimes you need to step back and look around a little before you can continue moving forward. With that said, I hope the steps that America has taken back over the last couple years helps us to understand the fact that a lot of things can be improved or done differently in this country before allowing ourselves to take those steps forward.