{This} whole book…has been written under the influence of a kind of religious awe produced in the author’s mind by the view of that irresistible revolution which has advanced for centuries in spite of every obstacle and which is still advancing in the midst of the ruins it has caused. – Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy In America

Alexis De Tocqueville was a French writer who traveled the United States in the early 1800’s. Democracy In America was the result. Like most historical periods, it was an interesting time. The American economy, transformed by the War of 1812, was depending less on European imports and more on its own production. America was also expanding to the west and there was the influence, still felt, of President Andrew Jackson.

Us humans are very predictable. Throughout our history we have advanced at the same time we have destroyed and we have always regarded today’s thought as one of mankind’s most perceptive insights into our Human Experience.

…that irresistible revolution which has advanced for centuries in spite of every obstacle and which is still advancing in the midst of the ruins it has caused

The irresistible revolution is mankind’s inherent need to advance itself. It’s why someone discovered the wheel and why Columbus sailed west and why we carry the sum of human knowledge in our hands.

In spite of this advancement, we still have the ruins of a world mired in destruction, greed and misery. War continues to be man’s greatest obstacle; since time immemorial our species has had the need to resort to arms.

Throughout history this need has been real, perceived or drummed up.

We go to war in the name of self-defense, sometimes when the threat is half a world away. We do these things in the name of liberty, despite the fact war is liberty’s great enemy and we do these things in the name of religion, despite the commandment that tells adherents “Thou shalt not kill”.

The methods have changed over the centuries, of course, but History continues to show that war does not produce peace, and us humans still do a very good job of inflicting misery on others. We continue, as we always have, to advance in spite of the ruins we cause.

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Time fleeing with a speed nothing can alter! -Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth

Jules Verne, of course, does not really need an introduction. He was born in France in 1828 and produced a variety of works, though he is perhaps best known for his adventure novels. As he should be, he is still widely read today and generally trails only Agatha Christie and Shakespeare as our planet’s most translated writers.

Verne is also regarded as one of the first and most influential science fiction writers, though Verne always maintained he was not a science fiction writer because he was not a scientist. This is of no particular consequence and can be debated later by those desirous of a very dull argument.

Today’s thought cuts to the very heart of our human experience. We do not have unlimited time on this planet. Not only is our time finite, we have some zero clue when it will end. And it is fleeting. Every day brings us one step closer to our last day.

The 24 hours in each day is the only commodity every human being is issued in equal measure. All of us are born into different circumstances. Some, like Prince Charles of Great Britain, are born into a life they have little control over. Charles had very few options. He could be Prince of Wales and, eventually, king, or he could be the Prince of Wales and, eventually, king. Short of locking himself in a palace, these were his only two choices.

Some are born with no chance. It’s tragic, of course, but that is the way the world is built. Either through illness or dire poverty or living in a country with an unstable government and way of life, some simply will spend their entire lives suffering.

… with a speed nothing can alter!

Most of us, however, fall somewhere in between. The days are relentless and nothing can alter them. What we get out of our lives, for the most part, depends on how we spend the 24 hours we are issued. Good lives are lived by those who have good years, and to have good years we must have good days.

We can use the 24 hours of each day to put nature and circumstance to work for us, or we can squander them. The choice is ours. When our time comes to evaluate our lives, we are going to ask ourselves did we do well, or did we waste our precious existence?

To say we did well, we must start our collection of good days now. We must make our time on this planet serve us, and not spend it merely serving time.

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You go out and work as hard and as honestly as you can…and you find yourself being criticized by people who don’t know the first thing about it. – Jocko Conlan

Jocko Conlan was a major league baseball umpire, working in the National League from 1941 through 1965. Before that he had a brief career as an outfielder with the Chicago White Sox. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Regular readers of mine know we’ve been officiating high school sports for an awfully long time and it should be no surprise today’s thought resonates with us.

Sports officiating lends itself to criticism. Games are usually played in a partisan, highly charged atmosphere and every call annoys someone, causing fans to yell and players to use God’s name in a manner inconsistent with praise. I’ve also long felt this was because an official’s decision is not subject to appeal, making people angrier because they have no recourse. I say the runner is out he is out and that’s that, even if he was down the right field line doing knee bends by the time the ball got to first base. Instant replay at professional games is changing this somewhat, but amateur games are still great fun to officiate.

Baseball umpiring specifically falls into this category because there is a long, entertaining history of on-field arguments, arguments that wouldn’t be tolerated in other sports. An official regularly finds himself criticized by those who simply do not know what they are talking about. It’s the second most misunderstood job, right behind prostitution. Sports officials hardly have an exclusive on that, either, as people in all walks of life find themselves criticized by the unknowing.

You go out and work as hard and as honestly as you can…

And that’s really all you can do in any aspect of human endeavor, from building a chair to painting a picture to working home plate. There will always be critics; that’s the way the world is built. As long as we are living from the inside out, answering to the inner force that guides us instead of reacting to outside influences, we are always guaranteed of success.

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[The Roman} took it for granted that the government had a right to value him purely according to his services to the state. He distrusted individuality and genius…He could only rule the world. – Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, Volume III: The Story of Civilization.

Will Durant was an American historian and writer and any mention of him must include reference to his wife Ariel, who collaborated with him on most projects. The Story of Civilization is an eleven volume set chronicling the Western world. It contains over four million words and nearly ten thousand pages.

While Durant acknowledged “the impossibility of one mind speaking with firsthand knowledge on every aspect of a complex civilization spanning a thousand years”. Despite this, and the flaws inherent in a project of this magnitude and scope, The Story of Civilization remains a landmark achievement in human letters.

The parallels between the Roman Empire and 21^st century America are, if not stunning, certainly revealing, and today’s thought isn’t too far off from a being a pretty good description of America today.

…the government had a right to value him purely according to his services to the state.

The purpose of the American citizen now is no longer to chase dreams. It is to subscribe to government programs, to play by the rules so we can all pay our fair share of taxes so our government can do more and more things for us. We have completely ceded our power over the state so that now we are merely vassals, well-fed and well-entertained, the better to fall into compliance.

Our government is not even obliged to demand compliance, either, we are providing that voluntarily, standing by while our government pursues non-stop warfare, leading to the deaths of American fighting men and women and innocent civilians overseas.

The Roman Empire eventually collapsed and don’t kid yourself, America will, too, one day. This nation cannot sustain constant warfare end crushing debt forever. Personally, I give us until this half-century is out

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