What if We All Kicked it up a Notch?

I'm all for comfort. I own my fair share of jeans and sweatshirts. But unless I'm cleaning or painting (stop laughing now) I try to kick it up a notch. When did it become acceptable to go almost anywhere looking like you just rolled out of bed or the nearest gutter?

I agree that it takes a village to raise children. I was blessed to have such a village -- every mother in my childhood neighborhood was intimately involved (much to our dismay) in the comings and goings of various children. When did it become ok to continue to birth children but have no real interest in raising them to be responsible adults?

Fresh from a devastating divorce, I feel free to say this. What if I had tried harder? Yes, I can throw a million stones but the bottom line is two people who were an incredibly good match contributed to a marriage in the ditch. Maybe we should've been more concerned with each other than the issue at hand. All I see is two people who won various battles and ended up losing the war.

Religion and politics will always be touchy. But why is it tit for tat? I'm reasonable firm in my political opinions and I'm very comfortable in my faith. This does not mean I won't hear your opinion, read a different book and embrace the questions that pepper reasonable people. What if we kicked it up a notch and actually listened to the pleas beneath the shouts?

And while I'm ranting:

Why can't we all get our pets spayed and neutered? There are free or low cost clinics everywhere. Kick it up a notch.

When did running from the police become a viable option?

Why does every participant deserve a trophy/medal? Kick it up a notch and suck it up. Sometimes that's the best lesson. You lost!

Support local stuff. I am hardly a "green" diva. But if your local library is important to you, write your congressman, go there. If your favorite neighborhood store is struggling, make your grass roots effort and talk it up. If there's a farm stand or public school or community project that needs your support, go out of your way to make it a priority.

That sounds sort of preachy and I don't mean it to be. I know we're all just doing the best we can with what we have.

Imagine if we all kicked it up a notch.