152nd Edition
How to know when it’s time to retire
I talk to people all the time who have just retired or are considering it. In most cases, there is a financial aspect to this decision process, but the ultimate decision usually comes down to something else. A good sign that retirement is at hand is when you spend too much of your time thinking about the good old days. When you have thoughts like this… If we could just go back to the way it was everything would be better…
I think Peggy Noonan, acclaimed author and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, has reached the moment where retirement might make sense. While I have tremendous respect and admiration for what she has accomplished in her career, she often misses the critical point in her essays. Let me try to explain.
In her latest essay, “America Needs Restraint – and Facts,” Noonan calls for “a return to the ways of Martin Luther King and the wire services.” She longs for the days of Walter Cronkite. Reflecting on the violence in Minneapolis, she says bluntly, “We aren’t at peace with ourselves.” Really? Is she just figuring this out? Noonan concludes from watching videos that the federal law enforcement officers aren’t sufficiently trained. Has she been through any of their training exercises? Has she interviewed any of the officers away from the crowds and protestors? Perhaps I am wrong, but I doubt it. I would love to ask her these questions, but I know no way to reach her. Maybe if I keep writing about her, she’ll contact me.
So, what exactly do we make of the violent civil protests in some of our major cities? Are they signs of a nation no longer at peace, and will this escalate? If so, in what fashion? Does remembering the civil-rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60s and the remarkable Martin Luther King help the situation?
A man of great faith, Martin Luther King, through his commitment to peaceful resistance and nonviolence, made America better. His fortitude, along with the courage of other civil rights leaders, made America better. That is why we celebrate Martin Luther King day, and why people are still inspired by his speeches and his legacy. More on this in a moment…
Who are the people leading the violent protests today? Are they people of great faith? Are they changing America for the better? What exactly are their objectives?
Noonan encourages us to find the truth. She is calling for widespread discernment as we look for and find the facts. She recalls the great and universally trusted Walter Cronkite, who she knew personally. How many of today’s protesters actually know who Walter Cronkite was?
Sadly, there is no modern day Walter Cronkite. Truth is what people think it is and everyone feels entitled to their own truth. Perception is reality. Whatever the latest video shows must be reality. Through the Internet, we feel connected to people we have never met and don’t really know. We live in an age of superficial influencers but don’t really trust anyone.
The solution for our country, no longer at peace with itself, is not to reminisce about the good old days, or long for trustworthy legends like Walter Cronkite. Still, there is something we may be overlooking today that made Martin Luther King transcendent. It was his unshakable faith. We need an unshakable faith today, more than anything else. This kind of faith can be a bridge to grace and forgiveness, foundation posts for reconciliation and peace. I suspect Ms. Noonan believes this, too. I just wish she would say it.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.