7 Eleven

Politics so soon? Really? It's only my 3rd post...eh, what the heck, I'll dive in!

I'm reading the fall out over the Mass. Senate race. I see so much angry finger pointing at the President. Seriously, people, he's a human being. He's taken, in my opinion, one of the toughest jobs on Earth at one of the darkest times most living Americans can remember. And he's stuck right in the middle of a damned if you do...damned if you don't....If he rocks the boat to try to make a change then he's going to piss people off, after all we humans fear change. If he maintains the status quo and changes nothing he's going to piss people off, he said he'd make some changes!! So, what should he do? Sit on his hands or act on his ideals? I've always told my boys that it is better to try and fail than to never try. So, President Obama, keep fighting the fight. Keep trying, despite unfathomable odds against you, to push forward what you, and many other Americans, believe is best for our country and our future. Never let fear of failure prevent you from trying!

He's trying! He's trying to get adequate health care for the millions of uninsured or underinsured Americans-I truly believe it is a disgrace that we cannot meet the medical needs of our children, if we don't take care of them now how will they take care of us in the future? He's trying to get food on your tables by extending unemployment benefits. He's trying to get books into the hands of your children and teachers that are qualified to use them. But, here's the kicker, he's human. He does not have a crystal ball in which to peer and tell you that your house values will recover or your 401K will bounce back this year. The last time I checked he was mere Muggle and did not take office equipped with a Phoenix feathered magic wand that he can simply wave and wash away all our troubles. He's a man, a mortal man doing an incredibly difficult job. We lifted him up to mythic status during his campaign. We wanted a hero, we needed a hero, we did get a hero, he just needs our patience, faith and whole lot of cooperation.

Where does 7-Eleven factor in? That's us. We are 7-Eleven. We want it all and we want it right this second! We want to get rich quick. We want to lose weight quicker. We demand to be able to change our oil at 2 am and then grab a Big Mac on the way home. There are no limits on the hours or the means in which we conduct business. EMail, texting, IM'ing, all of it make us accessible to others 24/7. We are impatient. We are hurting. We are scared. And we want to blame someone. Yet, the financial mess America is in did not develop in a bubble. Yes, there were countless unscrupulous bankers who pocketed big bucks in bad real estate loans. Yes, there were corporate execs who financially benefited from all of the wheeling and dealing on Wall Street. But there were also millions of tiny, everyday, decisions that we all made that also contributed to the fall. And there will be millions of tiny, everyday, decisions that we must make differently now to lift ourselves up. Washington can never fix our problems. Washington did not leverage our homes to pay for family vacations. Washington did not take out loans to pay for our breast implants. Washington does not let our children skip school, skip homework, eat too much sugar, etc., etc. We are responsible for our choices. I know there are millions of hurting Americans. Oregon has some of the highest unemployment stats around. It's tragic. I see the impact every single day, but I truly believe it will get better, unfortunately it will take time and time is not something many of us are willing to give.