Publishers Perspective: Lessons Our Mothers Tried to Teach Us
– By Josh Warburton –
If you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything at all, goes the old adage. But like a lot of old adages these days, they don’t seem to ring true with current times. Now I’m sure that phrase came about in response to people saying unnecessary, mean things, but I feel like few people bite their tongue near as much as they should.
In the case of the current debates around some very hot-button issues, suddenly, it seems like everybody you know thinks they’re an expert in one or more of these issues. And guess what? Most of them are not. And neither am I.
In searching for the proper words to articulate my thoughts on the current level of division in our country I realize that despite how many hours per day of political podcasts I may listen to, my own personal work in politics, and my experience as a publisher of 26 years, I still am no expert. I’m like the kid in the back of the class who is always paying attention and observing while saying very little. I consume sometimes dozens of hours per week listening to and reading local, regional, national, and world politics and current events, and at most I write one article per month. And generally, it’s not even about politics.
So, take my words with a grain of salt. As I think you should virtually everyone else’s words, except for maybe the true experts.
These are challenging and notable times in our history. Recent Supreme Court rulings, gun restriction legislation passing, the January 6 hearings, and the state of the world economy as it stutters from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the after-effects of the Covid pandemic make these days some of the most complex and historic ever.
The divisions in both major parties as well as the country as a whole, have never been so stark. Somehow our focus has been directed toward issues that frankly don’t affect our everyday lives as much as other issues do. Neil Degrasse Tyson would say that humans are not good at risk assessment, and I have to agree.
So, if it seems like sometimes you don’t hear a lot from me, this is why. I am observing. I am absorbing. I am witnessing, history. A wise man listens twice as much as he speaks, goes the old proverb. And for me, at this point in my life, that feels right. Will you see me out there in cyberspace attempting to reason with the unreasonable? Certainly. That’s also part of who I am. But in the context of everything going on, remember, we are all in this together. And everyone just wants the same basic set of things. Essentials. Comfort. And the pursuit of happiness. I hope we all find it.
And be nice! Happy reading.
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