Since I was born the day man landed on the moon (July 20, 1969), I have always had a strong affinity with the Apollo missions, the moon, and Neil Armstrong. So I was saddened to learned that he passed away this weekend. Beyond the accomplishments of Neil Armstrong and his generation of astronauts, engineers and policymakers who literally "shot the moon" (in response to JFK's galvanizing challenge, what most struck me about Armstrong from his obituary in the New York Times, was his unbelievable sense of humility and service. He felt privileged to have been given the opportunity to be part of the historic space program and he acted that way. May we take as lessons from that glorious day in 1969 that we should have the audacity to dream bold dreams, and the humility to pursue their conquest of someone like Neil Armstrong.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Hopes vs. Expectations
I had an interesting debate with a friend about whether we should have hopes or expectations for our children. I had mentioned that having expectations is a form of a gift, in that it helps the child see possibilities beyond what might be currently within that young person's scope.
He interpreted it as perhaps a burden of reliving one's life through the child, and was aghast that any expectation should be set in specific return for, say, paying for a student's college education.
My counter was that I don't expect my children to become or do anything specific. It's not expectations about the what, but about the how. That they will live their lives with integrity, grace and pursue a path that fulfills their purpose. To find one's calling and to be the best at it is my only expectation.
In any event, as I walk by the Obama '08 campaign poster on the way to my home office every morning, I reflected whether or not the "Hope" theme from 2008 was in fact interpreted by voters as "Expectation". And perhaps "Expectation" was not the how but the what: more jobs, lower deficits, less conflict in DC and abroad, etc.
But maybe we are past the point where we actually "expect" anything from the political process, but can only "hope" that it gets better.
He interpreted it as perhaps a burden of reliving one's life through the child, and was aghast that any expectation should be set in specific return for, say, paying for a student's college education.
My counter was that I don't expect my children to become or do anything specific. It's not expectations about the what, but about the how. That they will live their lives with integrity, grace and pursue a path that fulfills their purpose. To find one's calling and to be the best at it is my only expectation.
In any event, as I walk by the Obama '08 campaign poster on the way to my home office every morning, I reflected whether or not the "Hope" theme from 2008 was in fact interpreted by voters as "Expectation". And perhaps "Expectation" was not the how but the what: more jobs, lower deficits, less conflict in DC and abroad, etc.
But maybe we are past the point where we actually "expect" anything from the political process, but can only "hope" that it gets better.
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