Walking Our Own Path

Walking Our Own Path
Kevin Bryant

We have all done stupid things in our lives whether we want to admit it in public or not. Most of us at one point or another in our youth used the excuse that Johnny or Suzie did it and our parents had the classic response: “If they jumped off a building, would you?”

No one likes growing older, but hopefully, as we age, we get a little wiser during the process. We become able to make sound decisions that affect our lives. During this process, we also discover that sometimes there are no correct or incorrect answers. We come to understand that not everyone thinks the same, and that sometimes there is no such thing as one size fits all.

Children at a young age trust their parents to make the correct decisions for them. As they get older, they question why we sometimes have to say no and other times in similar situations we say yes. I know my kids did this quite often. As aggravating as it was sometimes, I always tried to give them the reasoning behind my decisions on a level that they could understand. Sometimes they got it and sometimes they didn’t.

I like to think that by me telling them the basis for many of the decisions I have made a difference in their lives and helped them to see beyond what was immediately in front of them and to think in big picture terms. Unfortunately, they still at times resort to the adage of living in the now and will deal with the consequences later. Since they are all grown and have moved out, the path that they walk is of their own making and by their own choices. Occasionally they ask for my opinion but as any parent would think, I don’t believe they ask it enough.

Everyone who is sitting at a computer screen reading this has chosen their own path in life. Many twist and turns are made based on circumstances but the direction most walk in life is founded on principal. It is what we choose to believe and believe in. It is how our morals and principals dictate to us what twists and turns we make to navigate through life. Almost every person reading this has these three things listed in their top five priorities in life: God, Country, Family. Their position of importance will vary from person to person and who is to say which order is correct? Again, it goes to our morals, principals and beliefs.

Those serving in congress have forgotten what their guiding principals are. Decisions are being made based on the priorities of party leadership than doing what is right based on morals, principals and the constitution. The expected large class of incoming congressional freshman from the 2010 elections will be hard pressed to drop the principals they ran on and adopt the party platform as their guide just as those currently serving have done.

Hopefully with such a large class of freshman, they will be able to walk their own path and not the path of the party. We must keep them from selling the public out in exchange for party support and favor. Keeping our eye on them, holding them accountable and not letting them off the hook for any decision made that goes against God, Country, Constitution and Family must be among our highest priorities. This goes for the old dogs of congress as well. They too must know that the path they choose to walk will seal their fate in all their future elections.