My iPod has about 500 songs that I listen to over and
over. I want a short playlist of Tim’s
Top Favorites (American Top 40 take off). One of those on my favorite list is Where Have All The Cowboys Gone – Paula
Cole. The song starts out promising
then slide into despair when the man she loves turns out to be a
run-of-the-mill guy doing stupid guy things.
The promise of her Cowboy fades quickly so she asks the musical question
“Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?”
Indeed. Where are the
Cowboys? What happened to real? You know, things that a genuine…authentic. We
live in the age of illusion and deception.
It’s the culture of appearance that rules the day and frankly it’s
making us all tired.
We’ve grown numb to the difference of real and fake (good
and evil) lying and cheating are viewed as no big deal. This cultural darkness is at the root of our
ills as a nation and society. I speak
with leaders daily and I sense there is something missing, a profound
disconnect with our culture.
People are hungry for “real.” Yearning for truth is what our
soul craves. Truth in our personal life,
professional life, love life, etc. We
are burned out! The countless distractions of computers, cell phones and every
gadget built today don’t full the void of truth. We want something of substance. We don’t want Beyonce lip-syncing President
Obama’s inaugural, we want her real God given talent singing! Are there role models today? There were a ton of them when I was growing
up!
We long for the tiniest drop of something that is true…everyone
is hungry for the truth. The funny thing
is…if you want 15 minuets of fame today, do something of substance. Stand up for what is true, good and
meaningful and you’ll stand out and get noticed! Fast Fact…doing so you’ll change your life, influence
others and answer Paula Cole’s question about missing cowboys.
Very good blog Tim. You are straight on with this. And the fact is Tim - You And I? We are the role models.
ReplyDeleteTim...
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion topic. Makes a person "pause and think".
Unfortunately, with our lifestyles today, we can only "pause" not think instead prepare to react and defend.
Sadly, there was a time when we could sit down and enjoy friendly discussion without fear of hidden emotions or agendas intending to twist or turn innocent perceptions (efforts to better understand) into strategic preparations and defense mechanisms for contingent positioning.
We can define "Role Model" but do we Really know what "Role" is anymore? We "pause" to "think" we know the answer but without a relationship built on trust how can someone be a "Role" model.
Keep em' coming Tim.
Respectfully
Dan Prather
www.danprather.tel
Dan,
DeleteYou make an excellent point about our lifestyle today that brings up another question about time. With everything that moves at the speed of light these days, people don't take time to think. Notice I did not say "have time" to think. We have the same 24 hours in a day that people had 40 years ago. The difference? If we as a society don't supply quick answers to life's questions we look weak.
During the Cuban missile crisis President Kennedy had 13 days to work behind the scene to defuse what could have been WW III. Today if the President has 13 hours to work through a problem before the media reports the issue, that would be a miracle!I If today's "got to have an answer now" crowd were around during that crisis the outcome would have been different. An outcome I'd rather not imagine.
Taking time to think is a luxury I enjoy more with each passing day!