Yes, it’s Personal

Our news bombards us with rants, crime, doom, gloom, war and terrorism. And yet, on a personal level here is what I see this morning over a cup of coffee. I see people holding the door for each other and not stressing about being first in line. I see a lady smile at a man as he leaves his table and with a smile, motions for her to take his place. The full kitchen and counter staff work quickly, efficiently and professionally, taking care of each guest who enters. A group of ten white-haired and balding men, many sporting glasses and two with caps, pull several tables together over a convivial breakfast. Several mothers and one father sit at various tables with their children. A couple walks in with a baby. The landscapers are in grabbing a quick bite before really starting their day. And a couple of businessmen hunch over their laptops. The room is full of every ethnicity and age and a couple of languages. And yet everyone is getting along. This scene plays daily in tens of thousands of places across the country.

America has changed substantially over the last few decades: some ways are worse and some are better. We have plenty of problems we must work on. But I’m optimistic. America is still the greatest place on earth, and from my perspective, and it’s still morning in America. On an impersonal level, we can get angry, generalize, and find other ways in which to be negative. And yet on a personal level, we find ways to connect, like each other and appreciate each other. Let’s do less of the former and more of the latter.

Narayan Sengupta (info@usaww1.com) of Smyrna is a Rotarian and the proud father of two daughters.