Powerful Word: Choice

By Semperpapa

There are so many words in our vocabulary that can be considered powerful. One of them is definitely choice.
What makes humans (well, at least some humans) different from all other members of the Animal Kingdom is the God given ability to decide our conduct, to make our choices.
Some are very obvious and mundane, like what we are going to eat for lunch or what shirt we are going to wear for work. Some of the choices we make are more involved, like what car to buy or where to live. In these cases, a thought process takes place to allow us to make the choice that best suits our short and medium term conditions.

When we meet someone attractive, we make the choice to explore that person's character in order to decide if the elements that make that person attractive go beyond the mere outside image. If those elements meet our approval, we make the conscientious choice to place ourselves in the position of expressing our interest, even at risk of rejection.

Of course, political choices are, or at least should be, guided by careful analysis and objective rational.

In my personal life, I have made some incredible good choices, especially in my relationships, undoubtedly aided by some great luck (like when my wife actually gave me the time of day when we first met). But some other choices may have not been the best sample of my ability. But what has remained a constant in my life has been my attempt to always analyze as much as possible the factors that inspired my choice before actually making it. Most of all, I believe the most important aspect of making a choice is to take responsibility for it, even if it turns out not to be the best of our life.

Taking responsibility is in itself a choice. I may have a job I like, but not too happy with the company I work for. If I make the choice to just leave my employer before seeking a new one, I have to recognize my responsibility should new employment be delayed. Any financial distress caused by my choice, regardless of the original work conditions, cannot be blamed on anyone or anything but me.

In my past employments, for example, I never remained with a company after giving notice. If I had made the choice of seeking employment elsewhere, I feel it had been based on reasons that just few more dollars in the paycheck would not solve. Granted, we work for money, but there are some issues that even money cannot solve inside some organizations.

In politics, the issue of choice is a little different. Here in California, for example, as a Conservative my vote has very little impact on the outcome of things. This state has been taken over by the forces of progressivism for so long that dependence on government, entitlements, handouts, corruption and the stomping on the citizens constitutional rights has become ingrained in the very fiber of the population.

The people of California have again made the choice to embrace gang violence, illegal immigration and liberal cronyism as SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) for the people in Sacramento. Occasionally the silent majority expresses their rejections for certain progressive policies being pushed upon the people, only to be shut down by liberal, corrupted courts, as in the case of some of the Propositions that have appeared on our ballots in the last few election cycles.

In the end, it remains my choice to live in this state. I could decide to move to another state of the union and leave behind all the nonsense that the former Golden State has fallen into. Maybe one day I will make that decision, but as of today, my choice is dictated by more important factors of my life: my children and grandchildren live near me, and that is way more important than anything else.
People joke about the fact that we stay in California because of the weather, and that is a powerful reason, but in my case it is the proximity to my family that guides my choice.

Cannot say much for the rest of the state choices, though. After all we so "proudly" gave the state to Jerry if-it's-Brown-flush-it, and to the Nation we gave Feinstein, Boxer, Waxman and the queen of garbage Pelosi.

But don't blame me for them...not my choice.

Just my thoughts!