I am rapidly approaching two milestones in my life:

On the 25th of this month I will have been retired one year (where does the time go?) and

I am eleven posts away from 200 (am I opinionated or what?)

These two milestones have converged to create an epiphany of sorts.  Along with the daily concerns expressed on this blog as to where our country is headed, etc., there are several ideas as to what we as average citizens can do about it.

Many advocate “throwing the bums out” when, in reality, the way census is taken, districts established and the enormous cost to even run for office, this is nearly impossible to do.

Others are looking outside the two main political parties for honest leadership.  Again, the deck is clearly stacked against that idea (does anyone remember Ross Perot and the result of that being the first president in recent memory elected with less than 50% of the vote?).

I guess the third approach is to just hide our heads in the sand and stop our ears to all the shouting, hoping it will all just go away. Well, this may be a choice, but it is not the answer!

I want to suggest another approach:

Consider the buggy whip.

There was a time in our nation’s history when all transportation depended on the horse.  It became popular to tether that horse to a carriage because it was much kinder to the body and also allowed more than one person to ride in comfort being pulled by one horse.  Stagecoaches were built and used to transport several passengers pulled by several horses across great distances.  In all this, the buggy whip was instrumental in keeping those horses moving.

Then the paradigm shifted.

Through entrepreneurial citizens, a new mode of transportation was invented dubbed “horseless carriages”. In time the manufacturers of buggy whips started seeing their business suffer.  This resulted in businesses first laying off workers and eventually going out of business.  It is even possible that the buggy whip manufacturers appealed for financial assistance from the government (can anyone say “bailout”?).  Regardless, did this result in the country spinning out of control and ending up on the ash heap of history?

Nope.

So, as it was then, so it is today.  We see unemployment up and manufacturers cutting orders, etc.  Government is busily throwing money at the situation, trying to stem the tide.  And, if I am anywhere correct in “reading the tea leaves”, it will still result in workers being laid off and businesses closing shop.

So, what to do?

In the coming days, weeks, months, etc., I will continue to post articles with input from my little corner of the world, referencing the news of the day, but with a new twist:

I am turning a new corner and will try and share what we, the average American, can do to not only prepare for inevitable changes that will take place (whether we like it or not), but to thrive and be successful.

It is imperative that we apply the old saying:  “If someone gives you lemons, make lemonade”.  Again, we can choose to either become “bitter or better”.  It is my prayer that we will choose the latter part of both these sayings.  Here’s hoping that, as I turn a new page in my life as to what to do, I can also be a small part of helping you, dear reader, to remain free and prosperous in this greatest nation on God’s green earth.

Stay tuned; the best is yet to come.

Related posts:

1. Reality Versus Virtual Reality
2. Happy Independance Day! (Enjoy It While You Can)