You can do something about it

Prior to this letter, I had written 57 published letters to the editor, addressing a range of socio-economic issues, including love, what matters, South Carolina education, parental responsibility, polarization of America, dysfunctional government, character and moral decline, with suggestions as to how our citizens might contribute to resolving them.

As a result, friends and acquaintances often ask me, “Why bother writing? Nothing will change. You’re wasting your time.” My answer is, “Although frustrated, perhaps disillusioned, we can’t give up hope in solving society’s many problems.”

We often hear the expressions, “the glass is half empty,” or “the glass is half full.” I prefer the latter — half full, signifying a potential for progress, optimism, opportunity and hope as opposed to pessimism and hopelessness.

Half full or half empty serves as a litmus test to determine an individual’s view. In other words, two people can see the same situation in different ways, reacting positively or negatively, constructively or pessimistically.

Unfortunately, many are resigned to the glass being half empty, with the defeatest mentality of, “I can’t do anything about it.”

This hopelessness is a contributing factor to a harmful epidemic that will continue to permeate our society unless we recognize our individual responsibility to be more actively involved in the issues confronting our town, state, nation and world. Society’s future will be determined by our action or inaction.

There is strength in numbers. Is your glass half full or is your glass half empty?

This story was originally published July 9, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "You can do something about it."