I am continuing along in my journal at this time on a thought I had towards the end of last year. The thought was intense for me and I was lucky enough to note it down at the time so that I could refer back later and explore it. Last time I wrote about potential, which was a main point in the first line of my thought. That people have a great deal of potential but do not do anything with it.

I ended my last entry by trying to make the point that our choices are the reality of our potentials. If we humans are supposed to be such great creatures, being ‘rational’ and thinking ourselves above the rest of the animals and all that(not that all of us do, but some seem to think so... in some ways, I agree, in other ways I don’t), then we should be inclined to make choices that are for the good of ourselves and our world, wouldn’t you think? The point that I was trying to make at the end of my last entry was that most of the time we don’t choose in such fashions.

And that ties back into the first line of my thought, for kids have a great amount of potential, their minds being fresh and open and full of new ways to do things. However, they don’t make choices in such a manner as described, that is, ‘for the good of ourselves and our world.’ That is why I say that they have a great deal of potential but do not do anything with it.

Now I must move forward onto the next line:

At the same time, I do not accuse them with saying that it is a problem that they should or must fix.

The problem I am referring to here is that kids don’t do very much with their potential. If there was not something that needed to be done, this would not be a problem, but, unfortunately, there is. Should it fall to the kids that they have to do something to fix it? Perhaps not... but if they don’t, who will?

Lets face it, the children did not create the problem, it was not their choices that made the world situation what it was. And what exactly is this ‘problem’ that I refer to vaguely? To put it as simply as I can, the world situation, the sorry state of affairs in the world today. Sure, one could say that things are going ‘okay’... but do you really believe that? We are coming to the turn of the millennium, people are getting a bit antsy, whether they have reason to or not, that is not the issue. What is the issue is that the world, as it appears to me, is a big mess. Which is composed of ever so many smaller messes, composed of so many more even smaller messes.

There is a quote from a book called ‘The Shockwave Rider’ written by J. Brunner I like to remember, ‘That this is a rich planet. Therefore poverty and hunger are unworthy of it, and since we can abolish them we must.’ We, I say we specifically meaning people like myself, we who use computers, and can therefore be said to have adequate means of survival... We know that there is poverty and hunger out there in the world, and if you don’t realize it, you need to open your eyes. Poverty and hunger, people don’t even have the basic means to live, yet they are born into the world and live in pain. This is a problem.

And maybe I am just an idealist, but I agree with the statement made by Mr. Brunner. This is a rich planet, and it only makes sense that with all the technology and understanding at our fingertips, we should be able to bend our abilities to conquer these two problems. Should, for obviously, we have not been able to. Why? Because we are so divided. This is one of the other problems, we do not act as a global community, not yet.

This is something I have puzzled over for many, many nights. Can we, can humans, ever come to a peaceful unity? Is it possible to unite the nations, the races, and the peoples of the world into a strong structure that is worthy of us? Can brothers stop warring amongst themselves? It is sad, for I think that such a thing is possible, with enough understanding. The sad part is that, the majority of people that I speak with do not seem to agree with me. Hearing that just makes the task harder. How can we all come to rub shoulders and stand side by side with a unified strength when most people do not believe it possible? Is this another one of the problems, the dis-heartened nature of humanity, the pessimistic side of rationality? Very likely.

My point is, look at the world around you, there are problems in it, very real ones that threaten people every day. These are the problems I refer to when I say that the children did not create the ‘problems’. No, the children have inherited them. It is the enormity of these problems that keep kids from taking heart, from putting all their potential into helping others around them. There is just so much to do. It overwhelms us all. In looking at things like this I can understand how kids don’t actually do anything with their potential. (I am speaking generally here, some kids do a great deal, and though it is enough for them that they do it, it is not enough for everybody. And if you are one of those who does care and tries to make yourself heard and seen and tries to confront that which is against us, I salute you with all of my being!)

It is from this that I say, ‘I do not accuse them with saying that it is a problem that they should or must fix.’ Inheritance can be a right bitch. If one inherits a fortune then one is most happy, but should one inherit a debt, you will be hard pressed not to feel some sort of resentment for it. And imagine the size of this debt the kids have inherited! It is enormous, there is so much to be done.

No, I do not say that they must deal with this problem and anyone who does not is a coward or is foolish. It helps no one to place blame, and it helps even less to call names. I can understand where they are coming from, I feel the same thing myself. I am so small, and it is so big... what can I do? What can anyone do? And not even talking about it on an individual level, but rather just asking generally, what can possibly be done??