My friend and I are wintering in Arizona and the other day we had a conversation about planting a fruit tree in our backyard. Although I wanted to go ahead with the project, she said to me that it was doubtful either one of us would ever see the tree actually grow fruit. I am 80 and she is getting there. I wanted to use this as an analogy because to me it’s not if I ever see fruit or not that is important. I am planting a tree and someone will enjoy the benefits and I can take some credit in that.
Our society today is too much about the here and now. We see it in the way we mortgage our nation's future, borrowing vast amounts of money for the here and now, with no idea how it will be paid back. Most of us are smart enough to know we won’t be affected by the incurring debt but future generations will. How would you like to get a bill tomorrow for something your father bought? We need to pay our own bills and live within our means. Credit cards. Student debt, it’s not just the government that is spending recklessly.
I have always felt that it was up to us to try and keep this world fit for future generations. Not just cushy for ourselves. That means leaving this country, as close as we can, to the way we found it, aesthetically, livable and financially sound. I know this will never happen because human greed is far stronger than being responsible and that way of doing business is becoming way too normal.
Mike Holst
Crosslake
