Starting sometime earlier this month, probably around the 4th of July, I had this thought of “would America work better and quicker at improving itself if it had a deadline?”
It’s a well known fact of human nature, and this human in particular, that almost all of us are more focused, work harder, faster, and with more determination to achieve our goals when we face a deadline.
President Kennedy knew this and used it with his moon shot speech to land a man on the moon before the decade was over. And it worked.
As a history lover I’m constantly looking back over our nation’s history and seeing long continuing threads of the same themes, played out generation after generation, a dichotomy of great deeds and sorrowful acts, of a nation’s soul perpetually at war with itself, with most trying to strive to meet the ideals in the Preamble to the Constitution while simultaneously others are indulging in the worst of their human frailties.
Nations are like individuals in a lot of ways. They both have beginning dates, which are known and celebrated every year. Many nations throughout recorded history have had short, turbulent existences, others have existed for far longer. Tomorrow is never promised to any person, nor is it promised to any nation, however strong and seemingly invincible it may seem.
But both human and nation go about their daily lives assuming tomorrow will come, and another after that, and another, so that procrastination and complacency can seep into every inch of the fabric of a people. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?
For almost 250 years we have proudly spoken of our American Experiment with democracy, and through many harrowing and precarious episodes it can come to seem like its continuation is pre-ordained, guaranteed.
Yes our American Experiment came with a starting date, and yes, it has no expiration date, at least not that we know of.
But maybe we should give it one? Maybe that will galvanize the masses to bold action, to renew their demand for excellence in government, and quality, class, and dignity in their elected officials.
If the ancient Greeks had known when their civilization would lose its primacy in the world, would they have worked harder to try and prolong their reign? Would the Egyptians? The Romans?
If someone told you exactly when you were going to die, and that you could extend it indefinitely by changing your ways, such as by stopping smoking or drinking, eating healthier, exercising, etc, would you change your ways or just accept the original date and not change a thing?
As Tim McGraw’s famous song says, maybe America needs to “Live Like You Were Dying” in order to reinvigorate and rededicate itself to its founding ideals.
Because one thing is certain, and it’s not America’s end date. What is certain is that if we continue to take our place in the world for granted, we will lose it faster than it took to obtain it, and we will never get it back.
Perry Waag 