its climax. In my haste to get to the
back of the barn and begin cleaning
the waste, I lifted my leg, leaving my
boot firmly fixed like a helpless soul in
quicksand. There, in naked splendor,
my foot continued rising, until reaching
its peak and hurriedly descending into
the thick strata of cow patties.
My attention was now fully engaged:
my entire foot submerged, my toes
feeling the wet sensation of what had
once been in the bowels and kidneys
of the animals. When I finally freed my
foot, it was a sight that could only be
cleaned off with the help of our garden
hose, strong soap, and a lot of heavy
scrubbing. I slept with my foot on top
of my sheets as I lay in bed that night.
We’ve reached the point in our nation
where we’re long past the time when
we should have cleaned up our barn.
We’ve allowed ourselves to be amused
nearly to the point of death, distracted
by pleasures before taking care of the
hard work that makes lasting pleasure
possible. There is no fast way out of
our predicament, yet we must work
as quickly as possible to turn things
around.
The good news is that slow and steady
still win the day. But in order to win the
day, we have to mount up with humble
courage and shore up the fundamental
cracks in our foundation that have led
to our creating, and in some cases
inheriting, such a dirty barn.
Right now we need long-term
commitment to attentive, steady
leadership in our personal lives, our
families, our houses of worship, and
our nation.
What follows is a battle plan that,
if embraced by even a minority of
...we have to mount up with
“
humble courage and shore up
the fundamental cracks in our
foundation that have led to our
creating, and in some cases
inheriting, such a dirty barn.”
Solutions • 15