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What's so different? Why does the world seem to be falling apart all around us? Maybe it's not too different after all. Perhaps I was sheltered from it as a child, protected by oblivious innocence. Today's world is full of hate and violence, death and destruction. We are programming ourselves and our children to believe that this is just the way it is. Why can't it be different? Why can't we change the present to positively affect the future?

The truth is, the government won't allow that to happen. Change is bad. Change is the enemy. The government is too busy keeping all the busy bees working and stuck in the hive. Work and spend. Work and pay taxes. Work until you can't work anymore, and now your too old to enjoy anything. They keep us so busy we don't even know what is going on around us, so we watch "The News", which conveniently has only what our government wants us to see. A few stories of hope and good will, and a hundred stories filled with tons of fear, laced with a thin layer of security. If we as a people stay scared, we don't take chances, we don't leave our bubble. We stick to our daily routines, we protect what we can and control what we can.

Working with our government are huge companies and corporations, selling us what they think we need. Trinkets and objects that make our lives easier, and make us think less. Things that take away any challenges physically or mentally, giving us more time to eat the fat filled foods, further cementing us in the system. We as a people are not only buying into the system, we are working diligently to stay there.

Your average person today knows not how to build a fire, or set up a tent. Hell, most people can't shoot a gun, or skin an animal(but the government doesn't want you to do that anyway). As a child I was lucky enough to learn these things and many more, but these life/survival skills have been replaced by computer games and tv shows. Why don't they want us to know how to do these things??? So we are more reliant on the system. So we work. So we pay taxes. Why can't we own guns? So we aren't a threat to them, so we can't defend ourselves. It's all about reliance. I am by no stretch a gun rights activist or a conspiracy theorist. I am just stating the obvious.

So why is the world such a bad place? Well in short, because we simply don't care anymore, we don't have to. We are given so many other things to distract us that we don't care about anything short of the newest iPhone, or the next Delicious Carl's jr burger. Who cares about what's going on in a different part of the world when you can't control it, what you can do is start up your newly financed car and drive to McDonald's for a Big Mac meal.

So now the big question. How do we change things? How can one person make a difference? In these "hard times" of terrorism, economic decline, and presidential stupidity, we find ourselves trying to help. The only problem is, we are applying ourselves in the wrong areas. Watching tv and sending donations to companies and organizations that claim to benefit a worthy cause or charity, when in fact they probably don't. Why not try instead helping out a local family in need. Perhaps you could donate your time rather than your money, at a local food bank or homeless shelter. Hold the door open for a disabled individual. Be kind, courteous, and respectful to every person you come across. A little goes a long way.
It sounds cliché, but being a good person can make and inspire change.

It is socially accepted and even praised to be a jerk in present day. It wasn't like this 20-30 years ago. It wasn't like that because parents actually parented. Adults were adults, and kids were kids. Kids weren't prematurely exposed to sex, drugs and violence like they are today and forced to grow up too fast. You now have children thinking in adult terms, watching adult programs, and doing adult activities. Personally I think that all of this garbage is creating negativity in our youth. Pair that with a lack of discipline and work ethic, and it's a delicious recipe for disaster. So now we have a fresh generation of consumerism enslaved children ready to go to school, to get to college , to get a job, to work until they are 70, then retire, then die. Well, if they are capable of death, because at this point we are just raising robots, perfectly built and groomed to benefit the system. Do you suppose these kids care about being genuine? Kind? Courteous? I didn't think so. These children only care about themselves and how they can benefit themselves. And you wonder why half of them grow up shooting up schools and bombing sporting events.

I'm guessing that this far into my little rant my thoughts are starting to get scrambled, and maybe not make any damn sense. I'm just spit balling here, so please forgive me. I should probably do what I normally do when I start rambling. List it out.

Dan's secret list of how to change the world:(in no particular order)

- Teach your children how to hunt, fish, camp, forage, ect.

- Teach your children how to respect others, and care for others.

- Don't rely on others to supply you with all the things that you need.

- Take care of your body and inspire others to do the same.

- Don't be a slave to your consumer products.
(this one is hard for me too, work in progress).

- Do what you love to do, don't give in to social pressure.

- Don't be afraid to do the right thing.

- Don't be afraid to do the "wrong" thing.

- Recycle, ride a bike, take a walk.

- Care about the right things, not about what the media wants you to care about.

- You can't control everything, but take control of what you can.

- Don't fuel the media fire.

The list is longer than this, but you get the point. Doing things for yourself is step one. Then you can inspire others as well. If I sound like a conspirator I apologize. But more and more I see the media and government trying to control every aspect of our lives, and it makes the world a scary place.

Some of what I said here will make sense to you, some won't. Take notes of what connects with you. If you don't agree with the things I have said, then turn off the news and go outside, it's a really nice place.