There is a fable about a contest between the wind and the sun; in which they agree that the strongest will be the one that causes a man to remove his coat. The short version of the story is that the wind blows as hard as it can, which causes the man to wrap his coat more securely around himself. Whereas the sun glows warmly, which causes the man to remove his coat. The moral is that gentleness and kind persuasion win where force and bluster fail.
Does this moral held true in today’s volatile and often hostile social-media driven culture? I believe this is the great moral dilemma facing American’s in 2020. It is really HARD to feel hope in the midst of a pandemic, race riots and the ever-increasingly authoritarian behavior of a certain President. Yet, hope and kindness are the only ways through this.
I have posted something every Labor Day Weekend since I first started this blog in 2014. Usually, my musings center on the US Open tennis Championship (and Serena’s perpetual thrilling presence), the playoff chances of the Milwaukee Brewers (not good, by the way), and the bittersweet memories and sadness accompanying the end of summer.
This Labor Day feels like a temporary cease-fire of dread, a respite from the news, driven in part by the much-welcomed diversions of the resumption of my favorite sporting events. Yet, Tuesday Awaits.
As we enter the final four months of 2020 – we need to recommit to kindness and hope, to retaining our humanity in the face of sickness, division and fear. We need to show our hope, strength and compassion in both small and large ways, from wearing a mask to challenging racism.
I hope and believe that my post NEXT Labor day weekend will be under more positive circumstances; The worst of the pandemic will be in our rear-view mirrors, Serena will have won another slam, the Brewers will be in the playoffs, and Biden and Harris will be turning this country around!