This morning, a man I've never met before wrote a column in one of the tabloid sections distributed by the Arizona Republic in some neighborhoods in central Phoenix. I did not see it, until someone emailed me to point it out.
The column carries a note saying it is by a man who makes his living in public relations, I believe. (I don't have it in front of me at the moment.) He laments the state of Phoenix radio and longs for yesteryear.
In his column he bashes one of KTAR's competitors as full of hate. He calls the station I work at "a quasi news" product, saying it isn't what it used to be. And, he goes on to yearn for the days that disc jockeys used to play fewer songs on Phoenix radio and talk longer about local things and places.
I can relate.
I am an Army brat. Never in my life did our family live anywhere longer than three years. We experienced the whiplash that comes from moving from places like Alabama to Germany to Oklahoma. The cultures were a little different.
Life changed. Friends stayed. And, we left.
As I've gotten older and had my own family I've sometimes thought about some of the places we used to live when I was a child. I've reflected on how life used to be. It's interesting how the past truly becomes "golden." The rear view mirror can make things look so good.
But there's a reason automakers give about 8 square inches to the rear view mirror and a whole heck of a lot more space to seeing what lies ahead. Focus on the past too much and you're likely to break your neck.
I've never understood anyone's desire (other than widows) to live in yesteryear or turn back the clock. And, I'm a history fanatic. I am a student of the past in business, politics, culture, and religion. But, maybe because of my age I am obsessed with the future.
Stuck with a decision between Hillary and Obama, I choose the latter.
The present is so exciting. The future holds so much promise. I value the past, and look forward to tomorrow.
Someone taught me long ago that perception is reality.
It's a lesson for which I've always been grateful.
Recent Comments