Wish I May Wish I Might
One evening as the stars were appearing in the night sky my grandmother saw a shooting star.
“Money, money, money, before the week is out,” she said as the star fell toward the earth and the light disappeared.
Even in our world of abundance we still work for money. Wealth in some countries was and maybe still is measured by the number of cows a person owns. Recently I read a historical account from an American Indian. I don’t remember what tribe he was from, and there were at least three tribes represented in his story.
The story involved him and several other warriors from his tribe. There wasn’t a purpose mentioned in his account of what or why they were out and about. It may have been a ‘scouting’ party, a war party, or something else. On their way back to the main tribe they came across another group of warriors from another tribe. They attacked them and stole their horses, garnering at least two horses apiece for his group—approximately fourteen to twenty horses.
This back and forth activity happened for several days or maybe a week, as they were attacked they lost horses, then they attacked another group who lost horses to them, and so forth.
They killed several opposing warriors, our narrator told of scalping a couple of the other warriors, and eventually, they did bring back to the tribe an increase of animals and scalps.
Fast backward to several years ago as someone explained the different types of government. At one point it came down to a difference between terms such as socialism, anarchy, and capitalism.
I’ve not understood how people can be mesmerized by the idea of socialism. There are samples of that type of government if a person believes they’d like it, why they don’t’ go and become a citizen there? Just try it.
No one could believe they would like anarchy, that’s like a fight for your survival every day. However, anarchy and socialism seem wrapped up in our American Indian’s narration. And it worked back in that day, as the fittest mostly won, but…
Capitalism gets a bum rap. Why is that, you may ask? Well, say I’m a shoemaker and I make the best shoes in the world. You need a pair of shoes and you come to me for a pair of shoes. Capitalism hinges on a trade of goods from one person to another. Say you’re a potter and I trade a pair of my best-made shoes for one of your pots, or if you make clothing, a garment. We both end up with something we need and we can be friendly about it before and after.
Unlike the warrior who kills, steals, and deals in one-upmanship, where there is no fair exchange of goods or services, capitalism is a better way to elevate civilization. It bears the resemblance of ‘love thy neighbor’.
“I wish I may I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight.” What would your wish be tonight? The thing I have come to be aware of is how few people have the ability to reason. Where have we lost that ability?
Too many folks are governed by their feelings. If you ask them what they like or don’t like about a decision it is most likely based on how they feel. This isn’t a good reason to base your life on something. Maybe things haven’t really changed, but I fear as our country has gone from a more agrarian civilization to the citified population things have changed. And not really for the better.
Ecclesiastes 3:
11 He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
