So join me, if you will, in a bit of a facetious exercise…
I don’t care if Hillary Clinton used only a private, personal email server during her entire tenure as Secretary of State. I don’t care if her explanation seems muddled and her mood both calculated and cold.
What I do care about is that any person desiring to be the President of the United States be ethical, honest, and transparent. I care that their character never be in serious question.
Hence…
I don’t care if New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (just to make sure I’m “fair and balanced,” equally picking on both parties this day) may have collaborated with staff to create rush hour traffic jams in Fort Lee, NJ as possible retribution against the borough’s mayor. I don’t care if he ordered it or was involved.
What I do care about is that any person desiring to lead others can be trusted to consistently do the right thing.
I don’t care whether former Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner chooses “Belinda” or “Bridget” as his new transgender name. I don’t really care about keeping up with any of the Kardashians or how long any of the latest “Bachelor/Bachelorette” couples last.
What I do care about is that I don’t get lost in too much mindless TV — and confused about what actually is reality (note: “reality TV” is not reality).
I don’t care whether Pres. Obama or Congress is offended at how each interacts with the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran’s official name). I don’t care about their ongoing political tit-for-tat — where each seems to arrogantly self-proclaim their own moral high ground but then attempts to simultaneously yank it from the other.
What I do care about is that a country with a long, dangerous, and unquestionably violent history doesn’t add nuclear weapons to their arsenal.
And I don’t care whether the evil, radical, Islamic terrorist group ISIS releases another horrendous video.
What I do care about is that the rest of us recognize and work to extinguish the evil.
One of the things impressed upon me in recent days is how vital it is to keep what’s most important, most important. We get lost in too many things. We get lost in individual passions and perspective, situations and circumstance, exuberance and emotion — each of which often then either blinds or numbs us to what’s truly most important.
When we get lost and lose sight of what’s most important, we begin to justify disrespect and other unhealthy behavior. Even the seemingly most intelligent find themselves justifying insult and arrogance; intelligence doesn’t seem to matter, as it’s not nearly as vital as wisdom.
What matters most, my friends, is what we actually care about… even if, in semi-facetious exercises.
Respectfully…
AR