Regifting Part 2
Last week the US Government sent me two gifts. They were mine, or rights of mine, to begin so I think of them, really, as regifts.
Uncle Sam’s first regift was my tax rebate. It appeared as an automatic deposit to my checking account. Living in one of the most expensive places on earth a few hundred dollars is almost (I emphasis “almost”) easy to overlook. Obviously, it would’ve been tougher to miss if they’d sent me a real check. Harder to miss but no more significant. As a nation and as a regift it is rather meaningless, a cheap plastic gift, purchased last minute, wrapped hastily and soon forgotten.
The second regift arrived the next day. And it did arrive in the mail. This is the third time the US Government has regifted this to me. And made me pay for the regift too. But this regift, like the money I made, paid and then got back, was mine to begin with. The Right to move freely as one’s obligations and finances permit is part of our heritage, history, and I hope part of our future too.
Unlike the rebate regift, however, this regift is priceless. I always know where it is, I’ve never misplaced it, and it has never…ever…ever failed to provide me delight, education, and appreciation. It never ever gets set aside to gather dust like a forgotten toy.
This gift is my United States Passport. Like a moment of epiphany or a Christian born-again moment, its arrival reverberated deeply within in me. I opened it in the driveway and thumbed again and again through its 54 blank pages like a pilgrim with a holy text. The pages flung open and worlds, people, smells, dreams, possibilities, lessons, cultures, and perspectives revealed themselves upon those paper gateways.
A passport is the gift of the world. The eyes that look back at those eyes that have for so long looked to these shores as a place of hope, opportunity and inspiration. You don’t even have to travel to feel the effect. Just possessing one is an acknowledgement of a place beyond our borders, the places we’ve come from and the places increasingly playing a part in our lives. Owning a passport is acknowledgement that our mighty ocean walls do not separate us from the world but conduct us to it.
Yet, sadly, only 20-25% of our populations possess a passport. That is 75-80% of our population, the population of the self-proclaimed superpower, without the ability or desire to embrace one of our great strengths, the willingness to go. We claim to be the world’s policeman but our police force – our populous that votes for our leaders – have never walked a beat or gathered evidence to discern the good guys from the bad guys. We’ve taken the desk job, grown heavy, disconnected and soft.
Our country doesn’t need a rebate, a gas tax holiday or another preemptive war. We need a mental, emotional realignment. We need some humility and some cool water splashed on our faces. We had this chance on 911. But we were led to go shopping, become fearful, atrophy and retreat. Even as our arrogance advanced, our minds closed, our bellies expanded, our debt grew, and our troops bogged down under a misguided policy. And for perhaps the first time people across the ocean began looking at these shores with distrust, fear and concern.
Now years later instead of being energy independent, lean, increasingly educated, open and inspired we complain about gas and milk and the encroachment of the world.
Regifting Ourselves to the World
Instead of a rebate how about awarding every single US citizen a passport and a 600-1200 dollar ticket to a foreign country. Imagine if, instead of an influx of $300-600 purchases of products made in China we had legions of Americans heading out to Mexico and Canada. Or, for the wild and crazy even hopping a plane to Western Europe, Australia or New Zealand. And for some even venturing as far as Asia, India, South America, Israel, the Middle East and Africa.
Imagine the wealth our regifted populace give to the world adn would bring back to our shores. Not necessarily in dollars but in perspective, in openness, creativity, and yes…even a renewed productivity. Imagine America, passport and rebate rich, moving again with a new, soaring, (but kind) Manifest Destiny shaped this time to go...learn, see, spend, respect, explore and invest.
Admittedly, (as a traveler and world citizen) it is scary to also imagine having 80 percent of our population taking their first doddling infant step out into the world. But I believe in Americans and more importantly I believe in people. And in the power of travel, sometimes abruptly, to change the way a person sees the world and their place in it. I believe, by-in-large, that our population would return home determined to save more, invest more, read more, learn more, understand more, think more, and weigh less.
The world has come to these shores. You came to these shores. I came to these shores. We all came in one-way or another and offered our gifts to make this country. We mostly came because of the hope and opportunity this country offered. Now it is time to regift ourselves back to the world. Not via troops, nor guns, nor even financial aid…but though you and me and all of us, with smiles, handshakes, humility, firmness in our convictions, and transparency in our cooperation. The world is ready for our friendship and leadership, but not for our power. The world will welcome our unexpected return, the regift of us.
All Good Things,
Wig
Uncle Sam’s first regift was my tax rebate. It appeared as an automatic deposit to my checking account. Living in one of the most expensive places on earth a few hundred dollars is almost (I emphasis “almost”) easy to overlook. Obviously, it would’ve been tougher to miss if they’d sent me a real check. Harder to miss but no more significant. As a nation and as a regift it is rather meaningless, a cheap plastic gift, purchased last minute, wrapped hastily and soon forgotten.
The second regift arrived the next day. And it did arrive in the mail. This is the third time the US Government has regifted this to me. And made me pay for the regift too. But this regift, like the money I made, paid and then got back, was mine to begin with. The Right to move freely as one’s obligations and finances permit is part of our heritage, history, and I hope part of our future too.
Unlike the rebate regift, however, this regift is priceless. I always know where it is, I’ve never misplaced it, and it has never…ever…ever failed to provide me delight, education, and appreciation. It never ever gets set aside to gather dust like a forgotten toy.
This gift is my United States Passport. Like a moment of epiphany or a Christian born-again moment, its arrival reverberated deeply within in me. I opened it in the driveway and thumbed again and again through its 54 blank pages like a pilgrim with a holy text. The pages flung open and worlds, people, smells, dreams, possibilities, lessons, cultures, and perspectives revealed themselves upon those paper gateways.
A passport is the gift of the world. The eyes that look back at those eyes that have for so long looked to these shores as a place of hope, opportunity and inspiration. You don’t even have to travel to feel the effect. Just possessing one is an acknowledgement of a place beyond our borders, the places we’ve come from and the places increasingly playing a part in our lives. Owning a passport is acknowledgement that our mighty ocean walls do not separate us from the world but conduct us to it.
Yet, sadly, only 20-25% of our populations possess a passport. That is 75-80% of our population, the population of the self-proclaimed superpower, without the ability or desire to embrace one of our great strengths, the willingness to go. We claim to be the world’s policeman but our police force – our populous that votes for our leaders – have never walked a beat or gathered evidence to discern the good guys from the bad guys. We’ve taken the desk job, grown heavy, disconnected and soft.
Our country doesn’t need a rebate, a gas tax holiday or another preemptive war. We need a mental, emotional realignment. We need some humility and some cool water splashed on our faces. We had this chance on 911. But we were led to go shopping, become fearful, atrophy and retreat. Even as our arrogance advanced, our minds closed, our bellies expanded, our debt grew, and our troops bogged down under a misguided policy. And for perhaps the first time people across the ocean began looking at these shores with distrust, fear and concern.
Now years later instead of being energy independent, lean, increasingly educated, open and inspired we complain about gas and milk and the encroachment of the world.
Regifting Ourselves to the World
Instead of a rebate how about awarding every single US citizen a passport and a 600-1200 dollar ticket to a foreign country. Imagine if, instead of an influx of $300-600 purchases of products made in China we had legions of Americans heading out to Mexico and Canada. Or, for the wild and crazy even hopping a plane to Western Europe, Australia or New Zealand. And for some even venturing as far as Asia, India, South America, Israel, the Middle East and Africa.
Imagine the wealth our regifted populace give to the world adn would bring back to our shores. Not necessarily in dollars but in perspective, in openness, creativity, and yes…even a renewed productivity. Imagine America, passport and rebate rich, moving again with a new, soaring, (but kind) Manifest Destiny shaped this time to go...learn, see, spend, respect, explore and invest.
Admittedly, (as a traveler and world citizen) it is scary to also imagine having 80 percent of our population taking their first doddling infant step out into the world. But I believe in Americans and more importantly I believe in people. And in the power of travel, sometimes abruptly, to change the way a person sees the world and their place in it. I believe, by-in-large, that our population would return home determined to save more, invest more, read more, learn more, understand more, think more, and weigh less.
The world has come to these shores. You came to these shores. I came to these shores. We all came in one-way or another and offered our gifts to make this country. We mostly came because of the hope and opportunity this country offered. Now it is time to regift ourselves back to the world. Not via troops, nor guns, nor even financial aid…but though you and me and all of us, with smiles, handshakes, humility, firmness in our convictions, and transparency in our cooperation. The world is ready for our friendship and leadership, but not for our power. The world will welcome our unexpected return, the regift of us.
All Good Things,
Wig
posted by wigdawg at
11:45 AM
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